


Little Wonders

by plopkumii



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, F/M, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-07-04 06:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15835968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plopkumii/pseuds/plopkumii
Summary: MODERN AU: Kagero is an aspiring tattoo artist and couldn’t be any happier to be in a relationship with Corrin, but it is put to the test upon finding out there is a bump in the road that will change their lives forever.





	1. Unexpected Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Hello people! This story takes place in a modern day AU where Kagero is a tattoo artist! I’ve mostly been posting this story on FE Amino for a while but I thought its time I share it to other sites. 
> 
> Before I go on, this story is a prequel to the AU. In other words, this will be about a younger tattoo artist Kagero and her relationship with Male Corrin. And there will be multiple chapters! 
> 
> I need to be serious for a moment. There will be brief mentions of controversial topics, such as abortion in other chapters and this one. I am personally bothered by the subject and I deeply apologize if it does too bother you too when reading this story. But, I want to portray Kagero’s situation as realistic as possible. Again, I want to leave a warning before you read. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Fanart of what Tattoo Artist Kagero for me drawn by my best bro Breezy-Bass)! 

  
Little Wonders- Ch. 1

This had to be a mistake. No way any of this could be really happening, everything was just part of a dream.

That was what Kagero wanted to believe so desperately.

Her shaking hands, sweating head, and heavy short breaths weren’t helping at all. She desperately examined the objects in her hands over and over again, certain she was trapped in a nightmare. That’s it, it had to be a dream.

Kagero set down the objects on the counter and splashed her face with cold water. But, nothing happened. She didn’t want to believe it, but the unthinkable and inevitable truly was happening.

“PREGNANT,” read both of the pregnancy tests in Kagero’s hands. There was no turning back, the future was set in stone.

“This really isn’t a dream... this is a never-ending nightmare. I..... I can’t believe I’m pregnant... Gods, please tell me this is all just an illusion...” Kagero desperately pleaded. Tears were threatening to form and her anxiety wasn’t helping at all at a time like this.

TAP! TAP! TAP!

“Kagero? HEY, Kagero! Are you done yet? I need to get in the shower!” called a female voice, knocking on the bathroom door.

Kagero was startled by the sudden intrusion. She had to dispose of the pregnancy tests for now, she couldn’t risk her best friend finding out so soon. She hurriedly shoved the tests into her pants pockets as deep as possible. Pushing the toilet’s handle down, she made it look like she was simply going to the bathroom.

She unlocked the bathroom door lock, only to be greeted by a young woman her age with lush, lavender hair in a unique hairstyle held together with a traditional Hoshidan pure gold hair-comb. The purple-haired woman playfully punched her in the shoulder.

“Geez Kagero, next time tell me when you’re going to hog to the bathroom all to yourself,” she teased.

“Right.... My apologies Orochi, a lot is just on my mind right now,” said Kagero, trying to compose herself.

Orochi chuckled, walking into the bathroom. “Whatever you say!”

Now that Orochi was out of the way, Kagero pulled her phone out of her pants pocket. She opened her text messages, only to see the latest one was from her boyfriend, Corrin, while she was asleep. She tapped the message, reading:

“Hey Kagero, I was wondering if you wanted to drop by my place for breakfast before you left for Painting Studio. Just let me know, ok? I love u”

Kagero’s anxiety began to worsen thinking of Corrin. Corrin did care a lot about her and treated her as if she was the most important thing in his life; but how would he react to an accidental child born out of wedlock? What if he reacted angrily and ended their relationship because he didn’t want a child?

Still, at some point, she HAD to come clean to Corrin and tell him the truth. Her heart began to beat a bit faster as she texted back:

“Orochi slept in too long to make us something, so I don’t see why not”

To her surprise, Corrin texted back a few minutes later.

“Great! Elise will be happy to see you, she’s really taken a liking to u”

“Is that so? glad to know she isn’t….. frightened by my appearance :’)”

“anyone who judges my beautiful girlfriend just by her appearance clearly doesn’t know what kind of unique person u are, that’s why I love u”

Kagero’s cheeks began to flash red. Corrin always knew what to say when she doubted herself. Hopefully he would continue to stay that way should he learn about the pregnancy…

“Thank u :’) I’ll see u in about 20 minutes”

“Mk, i Love u kagero”

Kagero put her phone into her pants pocket, then picked up her backpack along with a case containing art supplies. Sighing heavily as she left the apartment, her anxiety began to increase thinking about how to break the news to Corrin while walking to the parking lot.

I can’t hide the truth from Corrin forever…. He has to know, but I’m…. scared…. Gods, what if he doesn’t want to be with me anymore because of a baby?..

Kagero undid the bike lock on a green Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle, placing her backpack and art supplies inside a large side pouch. As she got on the motorcycle and put the helmet on, a hand subconsciously drifted towards her tiny baby bump. To think someone like you would be the cause of my troubles… It isn’t your fault, it’s my foolishness that is responsible….  
———-  
About half an hour later, Kagero’s motorcycle went quiet as she pulled up in front of a Nohrian-style house, parking it on the driveway. She then placed a lock on her motorcycle and took a moment to check her appearance.

She had on her favorite burgundy tank top with a cherry blossom tree print that exposed her tattoos, brown shorts, a golden yellow bandana around her neck, brown and pink sneakers, and a pure silver shuriken pendant. Her right ear was also covered with ear piercings consisting of three gold rings and a see-through average-sized black gauge lobe. Feeling confident her appearance was decent, she gained the courage to ring the doorbell.

DING DONG!

A split second later, a young teenage girl appearing to be at least 14 opened the door. She had the largest blonde drill-curl pigtails decorated with black bow ribbons that Kagero had ever seen and wore a short sleeved black and white dress with a pink bow.

“Elise, who’s at the door?” called a mature-sounding male voice.

“Oh! It’s Kagero!” said girl squealed excitedly, turning her head away from Kagero to answer.

A young man appearing to be 18 with short blonde hair and a black hairband stood beside Elise, inspecting to see who was at the door. His expression relaxed when he recognized the visitor. “Good morning, Kagero. Corrin has been talking non-stop about you coming to see us. Please, come on in,” he greeted.

Kagero sheepishly bowed, being the traditional Hoshidan she was to greet Leo back as she walked into the Nohrian family’s home. “Good morning to you too, Leo. Yes, well…. Corrin has always been openly expressive about our relationship, even though I’m the complete opposite of him.”

“Yeah, that’s because my big brother really likes you a lot! Do you think if he asked you to marry him, you could be my second big sister?” piped up Elise. She then noticed the tattoos on Kagero’s left arm. Out of curiosity, she grabbed Kagero’s arm and stared at tattoos of a bleeding eyeball and an Oni mask on fire inked onto the skin.

“Oh wow…. Corrin told me you had tattoos but I didn’t know they’d be this pretty up close! Say, what’s this monster? I’ve never seen anything like it!” she asked, pointing towards the Oni mask.

Kagero kept forgetting that Elise was a bundle of energy, and that meant she was always asking her questions. To be honest, she was happy that Elise was genuinely interested. She gently guided Elise’s finger towards her tattoo. “This is a mythical Hoshidan creature called an Oni. These creatures resemble humans with red skin, but they’re often massive and have two or three horns. Making masks based off the Oni is a popular craft in Hoshido,” she explained with enthusiasm.

Elise ooh’d and ah’d as Kagero continued to tell her more about the Oni and the mask tattoo. Being raised in a Nohrian family, she has rarely heard about these strange Hoshidan mythical monsters. But ever since Kagero came into her life by dating her brother, Corrin, she had come to enjoy learning more about Kagero’s heritage.

“And that is that. Is there anything else you’d like to know about?” Kagero asked, finishing her quick lesson on the Oni mask.

Big mistake to ask when it came to Elise.

“Actually, yeah! Does it hurt getting a tattoo? Do you think you could give me one sometime”-

“That’s enough, I don’t think Kagero wants to be asked too many questions at once,” interjected Leo, concerned Kagero might be overwhelmed.

Elise made her trademark pouty face when things did not go her way. “Geez, you’re no fun,” she said, puffing her cheeks before walking away towards the kitchen.

With Elise gone, Leo quickly turned to face Kagero. “My apologies, Elise has taken a liking to you and always asks Corrin when you’ll come to visit. She can be…… a handful.”

“It’s alright. I never had a sister, so I have to admit I wish I had a sibling like her. She’s someone I wish I had in my life before I met all of you,” admitted Kagero.

Suddenly, feet could be heard pounding down the stairs. “Leo? Is Kagero here yet?” called a younger sounding male voice.

“Come downstairs and you’ll see for yourself!” replied Leo.

A few seconds later, a young man with spiky white hair, pointy ears, and ruby red eyes descended down the stairs. His face lit up upon seeing Kagero. “Hey, Kagero, how’s my beautiful girlfriend?” he greeted, kissing her on the cheek.

Kagero’s cheeks blushed red. “Corrin, you flatter me too much,” she said, kissing him back.

“No, I only speak the truth, nothing else. Camilla’s in the kitchen making pancakes if you want some,” said Corrin, about to walk towards the kitchen.

Kagero suddenly remembered that she agreed to come for a reason, but how would she get the courage to tell Corrin that she was…….?

“Corrin, I need to talk to you alone for a second in private. I would prefer your siblings don’t overhear us,” she bluntly said.

Corrin wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but knowing Kagero, it had to be something serious. “Come on, we can go talk in my room. Nobody will bother us unless they knock on my door,” he said, walking up the stairs.

After getting settled in Corrin’s room, the young man decided to break the ice. “So, what do you need to talk to me about? Is something bothering you?” he asked.

Kagero sighed heavily, not sure how to break the news. She unconsciously started messing with her long bang covering the left eye, twirling her hair out of nervousness. Finally, she spoke, “How serious are you about our relationship?”

“Huh? Are you… having doubts about us?” asked a concerned Corrin.

“No, nothing like that... There’s something I need to tell you but it may impact our relationship greatly. Please….I’m serious, I want to be certain that I can confide in you about what I’m about to tell you,” said Kagero, holding onto Corrin’s hand.

Corrin raised an eyebrow, but none the less, he would do anything to make Kagero happy. From their first meeting at a Hot Topic up to him asking Kagero to be his girlfriend, how could he deny her request? She could not confide in many people for personal reasons and the thought of betraying her trust broke his heart. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Corrin formed a serious expression on his face. He firmly gripped Kagero’s hand back. “I don’t fully understand what’s gotten into you, but if you trust me enough to come talk to me about it; then so be it. I love you too much to betray your trust like that. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

Kagero could feel her heart start to pound wildly inside of her. Sweat poured down her head and anxiety was kicking in. She briefly let go of Corrin’s hand to open her backpack. Her fingers fumbled as they tried to open the front zipper on the backpack. She dug around until she felt plastic touch her fingers. Pulling out a plastic sandwich bag, she took one last look at it, her heart racing furiously.

What am I doing? I know Corrin said that he put all of his trust in me, but what if he ends up going back on his word?..... No, I’m done having doubts.. It’s now or never before Corrin finds out from other people…

Taking a deep breath, Kagero unfurled her hand and placed the plastic bag into Corrin’s hands. Corrin picked up the sandwich bag to examine the contents. Inside of the bag were two plastic sticks. Raising an eyebrow, he brought the bag closer to his view, trying to examine the small print.

“Both of these sticks say pregnant- Wait….” Corrin trailed off, finally putting two and two together about Kagero’s strange behavior the last few days. He thought back to when Kagero had a rough evening due to vomiting when she was over for dinner, her sudden craving for Nohrian style macaroons, and her odd mood swings. “Are you telling me that… we’re having a baby?...”

Kagero looked away from Corrin, fearing the worst. Her anxiety was off the charts. She braced herself, fearing the worst. It was only a matter of time before Corrin would learn the truth. This is it… he knows… she thought, her heart racing.

She braced herself for harsh words, but instead, she felt Corrin hug her tightly. “This…. this is the best news I’ve heard all of my life... We’re going to be parents?.... I don’t know what to say.. Why didn’t you tell me you’re pregnant any sooner? You have no idea how happy you’ve made me! I…. I can’t believe I’m going to be a dad”-

As Corrin continued to go on about how excited he was over the news, Kagero’s emotions began to cloud her judgement. Sure, she was relieved that Corrin was taking the news well but how could he just be so happy like nothing was wrong? Thinking back, the only reason they were even in this situation was because they had made some…. raunchy decisions. Kagero went through too much stress thinking Corrin would leave her upon finding out she was pregnant and the thought of Corrin acting like there weren’t any serious consequences for him just seemed to tick her off.

“....... If I had told you earlier, how would I know for certain you wouldn’t just get up and abandon us?... After all, this child exists only because we made a foolish decision...” Kagero blurted in a cold tone.

Corrin looked at Kagero in confusion, stunned that she was negative. His pointed ears drooped and he formed a downcast expression. “Kagero, what are you talking about? Why would I leave you? I just didn’t expect us to start a family so soon-“

“How can you react so casually as if nothing’s wrong?!” snapped Kagero hotly. Her voice broke, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She snatched the pregnancy tests from Corrin’s hands and threw them onto the floor in frustration.

“Stop, it’s not the end of the world-“

“Oh really, Corrin?! Of course you would say that because you’re not the one who’s pregnant! We’re not even done with our final year in college and we’re worrying about a baby I don’t know if we can afford to take care of!! It’s my fault for being foolish because.... all we did was create a mistake.”

“STOP TALKING BAD ABOUT YOURSELF! IT WAS THE BEST FOOLISH DECISION BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE A CHILD!” cried Corrin, tears forming in his eyes.

Kagero was suddenly taken aback by her boyfriend’s response. She didn’t expect him to have this kind of reaction.

“Don’t you get it? I.... I wouldn’t trade our child for anything else in the world. You know I’ve always wanted to have a family of my own, I just didn’t think it’d be this soon.”

Kagero tried her best to fight back tears, but she just could not. “Damn it Corrin.... how can you be so positive at a time like this?.... I don’t understand....” she sobbed.

Corrin pulled Kagero close to him. “I get that you’re scared, so am I. Please... don’t push me away, I want to take responsibility and raise our baby together. I love you too much to just get up and leave you to take care of it on your own. How could I just abandon you like that? I could never forgive myself if I left you to raise our baby alone.”

Kagero imagined countless scenarios in her head before revealing the truth to Corrin. The worst one she pictured was Corrin coldly ending their relationship, telling her to never speak to him or his family again, leaving her severely heartbroken and depressed, and resorting towards abortion because there was no way she could afford to raise a baby on her own. All sorts of emotions swelled up inside of her, and she was at her breaking point.

Her eyes formed tears as she finally succumbed to her emotions, holding onto Corrin’s hand. She dropped her head onto his shoulder, tears falling in a rush. “Corrin, I haven’t been completely honest. To tell you the truth, I don’t know if I’ll truly be a good mother… I don’t want to turn out like my own mo-..... someone who I thought was family. Am I truly cut out to be a parent?...” she cried as tears stained Corrin’s clothes.

Corrin simply pulled his girlfriend closer to him. He ran his hands up and down her back as a means of comfort and instinctively placed his hands over her stomach, trying to feel a small baby bump. . “Kagero…. stop saying negative things about yourself. I love you too much to have doubts about you. You’re scared, I know, and so am I, but just think, we have all of my siblings to help take care of our baby too. You’re not alone, and I will never abandon you or our child.”

Kagero was at a loss for words. She just let tears keep falling as she held onto Corrin’s hand as her bottled up emotions were finally free.  
•  
•  
Unknown to the two, Camilla had heard most of the private matter, eavesdropping outside of Corrin’s room. What seemed like a simple reminder that breakfast was ready turned into a shock. She nearly dropped to the floor, trying to process what she had heard. “Corrin’s having a baby? And it’s with Kagero of all people?...... This can’t be true, can it?....”


	2. A New Member of the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagero is an aspiring tattoo artist and couldn’t be any happier to be in a relationship with Corrin, but it is put to the test upon finding out there is a bump in the road that will change their lives forever.

It was nearly dusk when Orochi heard the sounds of an engine rumbling outside of the campus’ apartment complex. Curious, she peeled her head out of the window to spot a woman on a too-familiar green Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle.

“Huh, what’s Kagero doing home early? She’s usually at studio most of the evening…” wondered Orochi. “Oh well, not my problem.”

Shrugging it off, Orochi walked back into the apartment to start preparing dinner for her and her roommate. After getting the ingredients together, she heard the door open and a voice calling, “I’m home!”

“You’re home early, finish your painting already?” teased Orochi.

Kagero shook her head, placing her motorcycle helmet on a stand near the door. “Not quite, there is still much work to do. But…… I need to talk to you about a serious matter.

“Did Corrin do something to you-“

“Peace, it’s nothing like that. Corrin has no intention of ever ending our relationship. But I mean it when I do need to tell you something that’s serious. Come, sit,” said Kagero, sitting on a sofa.

Orochi has already finished getting the ingredients together for dinner, so she complied to her best friend’s request . She plopped onto the sofa next to Kagero, curious what was going on. “So…. what is this ‘serious matter’ you wanted to talk about?” she inquired.

Kagero felt a lump in her throat. How was she going to break the news to her best friend?

Before Kagero answered Orochi’s question, she simply asked, “How much do you value our friendship? I know this may sound like a strange question, but I want to be certain you will trust me on what I am about to tell you.”

Orochi raised an eyebrow in confusion at her best friend’s sudden question. Kagero would never ask these sorts of things unless something was truly bothering her. She could tell by her tone that Kagero was serious so she decided to be serious with her answer as well.

“Why are you asking Orochi such a strange thing? She has always treasured our friendship since the first meeting and has been there when misfortune fell upon you. She would never take it for granted, no matter what,” she stated in a serious tone, looking straight into Kagero’s eye.

Just like with Corrin, Kagero could tell from over the years she had grown close to Orochi that she meant every word and not out of pity. Sighing heavily, she took a deep breath. Her fingers then fumbled as they tried to open the front zipper on the backpack. She dug around until she felt plastic touch her fingers. Pulling out a plastic sandwich bag, she took a quick look at it, her heart racing less furiously than when revealing the news to Corrin.

This is Orochi I’m talking to. She has been my best friend and one of the few people I would trust with my life. She would never end our friendship over this sudden change, right?.....

Remembering how she revealed the big drop to Corrin, she placed the plastic baggie into Orochi’s hands. Orochi looked at the baggie with curiosity and examined it closely. “Um Kagero? Why do these sticks say pregnant- Wait, wait….. You’re pregnant?! Are you really serious?!” she exclaimed out of surprise, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.

Kagero felt a wave of relief wash over her. She kind of predicted that Orochi would not be upset by the sudden news but she never knew for certain. Feeling less stressed about dropping the news to her best friend, she took a deep breath and revealed, “Both of them are positive so yes….. Corrin and I are having a baby…”

Orochi let out a heavy sigh, trying to hide a mischievous smirk. “I wish you had told me sooner! I have a lot of questions to ask about when you and Corrin decided to do ‘the nasty,’ if you get what I mean.”

“Orochi! That’s….. that’s something I can’t tell you so casually,” Kagero blurted, her cheeks blushing out of embarrassment. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you first, but Corrin had to know because well… it’s his baby- OOMPH!”

Before Kagero could finish her sentence, she was cut off by a great big bear hug. Orochi has practically launched herself forward onto her childhood friend, giving the biggest hug. “So… does this mean I get to be ‘Aunt Orochi’?” she mischievously asked.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, you’re like family to me.”

“Aw, you’re too kind, Kagero. I’ll try not to spoil your kid too much! Just sit tight, I’m gonna go finish getting dinner ready.”

After Orochi got up to go to the kitchen, Kagero felt a buzz in her pants. She reached into the pockets to pick up her phone, examining the caller ID. On the home screen was a text message from Corrin:

**“How did Orochi take the news?...”**

Kagero unlocked her phone and texted back: **“she was a bit disappointed that I didn’t tell her first, but she is very excited to be ‘Aunt Orochi’”**

**“oh, that’s a relief lol. We still need to tell my family that we’re…..”**

**“I know. Do u think ur siblings will be happy about a baby joining the family? Camilla and I aren’t exactly ‘buddy buddy’ and I honestly feel like i’ll just become a burden”**

**“Yeah, I know u and Camilla struggle to get along but the rest of my family really likes u, especially Sakura and Elise! Have some more confidence in urself, I’ll be with u when we tell them the news, okay?”**

**“Very well. Let’s tell them tomorrow, I can’t hide it forever...”**

**“Trust me kagero, it’ll be fine.”**  
——-

Kagero was always a calm and collected individual, but when gathered around all of Corrin’s siblings in one dining room, she couldn’t help but feel slightly anxious.

All eight of Corrin’s brothers and sisters were talking amongst themselves, curious mabout what they were being gathered for, especially Ryoma and Xander. After everyone finished eating dinner, Corrin stood up with Kagero and all talking ceased and all eyes focused on the couple.

Ryoma was the first to break the ice. “Corrin, you mentioned that you and Kagero had something urgent to tell all of us?”  
  
Corrin immediately held hands with Kagero, making eye contact with her as a means of reassurance. The two silently took deep breaths as a means of remaining calm before getting cold feet. They faced the entire family, bracing themselves for what would happen next.

Corrin stood up, holding Kagero tightly by her hand. “As you all know, Kagero and I have been in a relationship for nearly a year. I love Kagero with all of my heart and would never do anything to harm her. But……. we do have something important to announce regarding our relationship.”

He then looked into Kagero’s eyes, making a nodding motion that it was her turn to speak. The tattoo-covered woman felt a lump in her throat despite her calm and collected personality. All eyes, especially Camilla’s, stared directly towards her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Breathe. If I was able to put enough trust to tell Corrin and Orochi about the truth, then I am certain Corrin’s siblings will take it well, thought Kagero, taking another deep breath.

Clearing her throat, Kagero held onto Corrin’s hand as she gained the confidence to speak. “I truly love your brother deeply and I am grateful that you all have accepted me as a part of your family. But, it’s just as Corrin said: we have something important to tell you. The truth is….”

She quickly looked towards Corrin, feeling a lump form in her throat. The young man held his grip tighter, nodding his head. Taking another deep breath, she shook away the anxiety eating at her and formed a serious look on her face.

“What Corrin and I have to tell you is……….. I’m pregnant.”

An awkward silence filled the air. All of Corrin’s siblings looked at each other then at Kagero, trying to process what was going on. Meanwhile, Kagero was starting to sweat bullets awaiting their reaction.

Finally, Elise broke the ice. She got up from the floor and held onto Kagero’s other hand. “Are you for real?! You’re having a baby? Does this mean Sakura, Hinoka, Camilla, and I are going to be aunts?”

Sakura spoke up next, despite her shyness getting to her. “Is it t-true? If that is so… I-I would be honored to be an a-aunt too…”

Corrin and Kagero breathed a sigh of relief, but they haven’t heard from everybody just yet. Still, Corrin couldn’t help but flash a comforting smile at his girlfriend that everything was going to be fine.

Kagero then suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Leo standing in front of her with his arms crossed. He then calmly spoke, “My studies haven’t prepared me on becoming an uncle so sudden. But regardless, I trust that my brother will take good care of you and my new niece or nephew.”

“Like Tomato Boy said, I’m happy for you two and I look forward to being an uncle too,” said Takumi, flashing a rare smile.

“Tomato Boy? Don’t you have more creativity than that?” deadpanned Leo. “How would you like it if I called you Pineapple Boy?”

“Where the hell did you get that from?”

“If you must know, the spikes on your ponytail resemble pineapple leaves-“

Hinoka took a deep breath, making eye contact with Kagero. ”To be honest, I had my doubts about my brother dating you because of the tattoos. If Corrin really trusts you that much, then I’m sorry for judging you from your appearance.”

Kagero shook her head. “Peace, it’s understandable. I get that reaction from people a lot.”

“I’ll make it up to you somehow. Corrin is the right person for you and I’ve got a feeling you guys will be great parents.”

Kagero flashed a rare smile towards Hinoka as a sign of appreciation. She looked around the room, spotting Camilla sitting lost in thought. The violet-haired women quickly looked up to see Kagero staring at her. With a downcast expression on her face, she quietly excused herself from the dining table and left, looking back at Kagero before she vanished.

A part of Kagero felt bad on in the inside. She let out a heavy sigh. Corrin heard this and quietly pulled her aside. “I know that sigh. Something’s on your mind. What’s bothering you?” he asked out of concern.

Kagero looked into Corrin’s eyes. “It’s Camilla. She looked really upset after I told everyone about the babyi  
. I want things to be less awkward between us, but I feel as if announcing the baby made your sister feel upset towards me.”

“Look, don’t take it personally. Camilla sees herself as a motherly figure to my Nohrian siblings and I guess she isn’t quite ready to let me go just yet. Give Camilla a chance when she’s ready, she’s truly a caring person towards all of us once you get to know her.”

“I see. All I want is to make peace with Camilla so there won’t be any tension. I….. I don’t want to have a broken family again…” trailed off Kagero, gripping her boyfriend’s hand tightly.

Corrin pulled Kagero close to him, giving her a comforting embrace. “I know… I won’t let that happen again. I promise.”  
—-  
After everyone finished cleaning up the kitchen and the dining room, Corrin and Kagero sat in a room alone with Xander and Ryoma. Said brothers said in chairs directly across from the couple with their arms crossed and a serious expresssion on their faces.

Ryoma was the first to speak. “Before we begin, I would like to offer my congratulations to you two. However, there is something we need to discuss.”

Xander nodded in agreement, clearing his throat. He then calmly said, “We understand that you two are adults that are capable of taking care of yourselves, but what were you thinking when you decided to sleep together unprotected?”

Corrin felt a bit uneasy, and that was normal considering most people felt intimidated by Xander. He then looked at a Kagero, who subsciously had a hand on her stomach. Regardless, he shrugged off the intimidation and formed a serious expression as well. “Neither one of us were thinking straight. As foolish as this sounds, it just… happened. Before you say anything, just please listen to what I have to say,” he pleaded.

Both of the eldest brothers nodded their heads in approval. “Very well, speak what’s on your mind,” said Ryoma, interested in what his youngest brother had to say.

Corrin scooted close to Kagero, holding onto her hand. Making eye contact with his brothers, he began to speak. “When I say that I love Kagero, I mean it from the bottom of my heart. I admit it, sleeping with her unprotected was probably not the wisest decision I have made, but this baby is my responsibility and I’m serious about being a responsible father. I…. I love Kagero too much to just abandon her and have her raise our baby by herself. Even. If my love for her was a crime, I would continue to love her without regret. Please, don’t push Kagero to get rid of our baby, this isn’t her fault.”

The eldest Nohrian brother made eye contact with Kagero, giving off an intimidating aura. “Kagero, is it?” asked Xander.

Kagero simply nodded. “Yes, you pronounced my name correctly.”

Xander nodded, having gotten the message. “If I may ask, how serious are you about this unplanned pregnancy? Please, be completely honest and tell me how you truly feel.”

The young woman let out a heavy sigh. She too held onto Corrin’s hand for comfort as she began to prove herself. “To tell you the truth… neither me or Corrin expected this pregnancy to happen. Yes, I was upset about being pregnant at first, but I feel at ease knowing Corrin is accepting of our baby despite it being unplanned.You may think what you want of us, but I refuse to even consider taking away of our baby’s life. It doesn’t deserve to die just because we made one little mistake. I am quite serious when I tell you that I am committed to taking full responsibility for our baby. But… please, I do not wish to be separated from Corrin and have to raise our child alone.”  
  
Xander and Ryoma silently nodded to each other, having heard enough from their brother and new in-law. Ryoma then cleared his throat. “You two are clearly serious about this sudden pregnancy. It would not be right of us to force you apart and leave Kagero alone to fend for herself and your child.”

Xander then continued, “The reason we asked you these questions was to test if you are truly committed to taking responsibility. You have exceeded our expectations with your answers. We can tell that it was truly from the heart.”

Corrin nearly leapt out of his seat listening to what his brothers were telling him and Kagero. “Are you saying-“

Ryoma nodded in affirmation. “You have our blessing and support for your child. We won’t separate you either.

Kagero could not believe what she was witnessing. Here she was, beginning to think that Corrin’s eldest brothers would not approve of their relationship given the circumstances. Boy, was she proven wrong. She was normally a stoic person, but today was emotionally overwhelming for her. Tears began to form under her eyes as she held onto Corrin’s hand, gazing into his ruby red eyes. “Corrin… I… I don’t know what to say,” she said.

“You don’t have to say anything. Everything is going to be alright,” assured Corrin. He lightly pecked her on the cheek, his cheeks starting to turn red.

Suddenly, a thought hit Ryoma. It was true that everyone in the family had learned the truth about his brother and Kagero having a baby, but what about Kagero’s family?

“Kagero, can I ask you something?” asked Ryoma.

“Yes?”

“Does your family know about the baby yet?”

Kagero looked back at Ryoma then to Corrin. She knew that Ryoma meant no harm, but having to think about her own family (so she thought) was just too much at the moment. She did not wish to cause a scene, so Kagero simply said nothing and quietly left the room with a downcast expression.

All of a sudden, the eldest Hoshidan sibling felt guilty. “Corrin, if I said something that offended Kagero, I am truly sorry. That was not my intention,” he said in a genuine apologetic tone.

Corrin shook his head. “You didn’t know, it isn’t your fault. Kagero has her own reasons for not talking about her family. I’m sorry, but I promised her that I wouldn’t say anything to anyone until she was ready to tell you.”

———

Later that evening, Kagero laid on her bed, staring out at the night sky. Constellations were scattered as the moon’s light illuminated the natural scene up in the sky. She let out a heavy sigh as she got lost looking at the stars, her thoughts wandering. As hard it seemed to believe, there was another human growing inside of her, and it was the result of her and Corrin’s love. But…. thinking back, that child came at a cost: It was entirely unplanned and neither her or Corrin saw the pregnancy coming.

She sighed heavily, a lot on her mind. Am I truly making the right decision by keeping Corrin’s baby? Then again…. our baby is a mistake, a big mistake that I am partially at fault for… I know that I can trust Corrin and his families to help us raise the baby but to tell you the truth…. I feel like I’m simply being a burden.

Kagero’s mind drifted back to the evening everything had changed, including hers and Corrin’s future. It seemed only like a distant memory…

_Corrin pulled up his car in front of the apartment complex his girlfriend shared with Orochi. He unbuckled Kagero first, being the gentleman he was, and escorted her up to the apartment, careful not to ruin her dress._

_As Kagero fumbled for the keys in a bag, Corrin couldn’t help but stare at how beautiful she was underneath the full moon’s light. He always questioned how he was lucky enough to find someone as gorgeous and talented as her (he did admit her “unique” artwork frightened him a little). Kagero may have had only one eye visible but she caught her boyfriend looking at her._

_“What is it?” she asked._

_Corrin simply snaked his arm around her waist pulling her closer. “What? I can’t admire how beautiful my girlfriend is?” he teased in a playful tone._

_“Heh, I see that Orochi’s personality is starting to rub off on you,” said Kagero, her cheeks blushing red._

_“Yeah, what can I say? She’s like the fifth sister I wish I had.”_

_After Kagero unlocked the door to her and Orochi’s apartment, she was more than ready to go to sleep. Looking back at Corrin, she walked up to him and closely into his ruby red eyes. “Thank you for tonight, I….. I always enjoy spending time with you, Corrin.” Being the reserved person she was, Kagero was too embarrassed to kiss him._

_But before Kagero could walk into the apartment, she felt Corrin suddenly pulled her close to him as she felt his lips come in contact with hers. She was caught off guard and if a complete stranger did this, she wouldn’t hesitate to flip them off. But this was Corrin, so she just stood there, frozen. She quickly got over it and eagerly kissed him back._

_Before the couple knew it, Corrin and Kagero gave into their desires (thankfully, Orochi was away visiting her parents). They just couldn’t take it anymore and well….Corrin had unsheathed his Yato to make love._

_Exhausted from showing their love, Corrin and Kagero just passed out underneath the sheets. Little did they know that another life was just beginning._  
_——_  
Kagero wanted nothing more than to scream that fate was treating her like this, but a part of her did not want to give in just yet. I am this close to achieving my dream of showing the world what I can do with my art as a tattoo artist, yet this has to happen. There I go again, saying negative things about myself again. I have come too far since…. that day to just give up and lose hope. Yes, it’s true, I am upset that Corrin and I have an unplanned baby, but it isn’t their fault! Perhaps we were destined by fate to become parents to this child, regardles if it was unplanned or not.

Kagero protectively placed a hand over her tiny baby bump as if she could feel her and Corrin’s child. ”You aren’t a mistake, I take back every word I said about you. Maybe you were an accident, but you’re my accident. And I’m ok that it happened. I love you even if you aren’t born yet.”

Feeling at peace with coming to terms that she was going to be a mother, whether she was fated too or not, Kagero fell asleep beginning to dream about raising her child together with Corrin. 


	3. It’s A.....

  
This was not how Kagero wanted to start off her morning.

Here she was, in the bathroom with Orochi lurched over a toilet around 3 AM. Kagero knew morning sickness was a part of being pregnant but when it happened out the blue, boy did she not enjoy it as the weeks went by for her pregnancy. As Kagero vomited into the toilet, Orochi massaged her best friend on the back in attempts to relieve her.

“There, there, dear. I know, morning sickness isn’t pleasant,” said Orochi, trying to comfort Kagero.

Kagero coughed as she hacked up bodily fluids, “Ugh….. great way to start off the day before Corrin and I find out the baby’s gender later today…”

“Oh, that’s right! Say, do you and Corrin want a boy or a girl?”

“Honestly…. I never really thought about that but Corrin has talked about wanting a little girl to spoil.”

Orochi let out a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood for Kagero. “Well, do you mind if Aunt Orochi spoils her too? I’ll try not to go overboard.”

“Heh, I suppose just this once-“ Kagero’s sentence was cut off short as she vomited again, much to her annoyance. After that…. unpleasant experience, she rubbed her head. “Gods, I’m never letting Corrin get me pregnant again after this one…” she groaned.

“That’s what they all say. Orochi has a feeling you’re going to do keep doing ‘The Nasty’ while you’re pregnant anyway.”

“Orochi!! That’s…….”

Orochi playfully smirked, “I got you right under my little finger! Cat got your tongue?”

“Not now please… I still don’t feel well and I don’t want to miss the doctor’s appointment later..” groaned Kagero, feeling disoriented as she tried to walk on her own.

“Goodness, you can’t walk on your own like this. Grab onto my shoulder,” Orochi gently commanded.

A disorientated Kagero complied as Orochi did as she said, walking her best friend back to her room. After Orochi brought Kagero to said room, she hoisted her back into bed and made sure she was comfortable.

“Orochi…. Thank you…. you’ve done too much for me…” said Kagero hoarsely, her throat a bit strained from vomiting.

The purple-haired woman yawned, “Oh, it’s nothing. I’d do anything for my best friend, even for your baby. Now, don’t worry about anything else and just get back to sleep.”

Speak of the devil, as soon as Orochi said the last word, Kagero was already out cold. She let out a little chuckle, “How did I get to have her as my best friend? Kagero may be a bit of a handle now that she’s pregnant, but I couldn’t be any prouder to be an ‘Aunt’ to her and Corrin’s baby.” As she quietly tiptoed out of Kagero’s room, she glanced at the sleeping mother-to-be. “Kagero…. have more faith in yourself. You will be a wonderful mother.”   
——-

“Kagero, honey? Can you hear me?”

Kagero’s eye slowly fluttered to life as she struggled to wake up due to the sudden voice. Letting out a loud yawn as she rubbed her eye, Kagero moved her head on the pillow to see a familiar young man with white-silver spiky hair and pointed ears. “Huh….. Corrin?” she said in a groggily tone, trying to wake up.

Said young man nodded, kissing her on the cheek. He ran his fingers though Kagero’s hair, brushing it and feeling how soft and silky it was. “Hey, Orochi called and told me you weren’t feeling well at the crack of dawn. How do you feel now? I know you don’t want to miss finding out if our baby’s going to be a boy or a girl after you have Painting Studio.”

Kagero kissed him back, “Less discombobulated now that I haven’t felt morning sickness for a couple hours, just a bit sleepy.”

“That’s good, I knew you’d be devastated if we had to reschedule. You’re not the only one who’s dying to know about our baby,” said Corrin, placing his hand around Kagero’s growing baby bump.

A couple months had passed since Kagero and Corrin found out that they would be having a baby unexpectedly. Now that Kagero was 16 weeks pregnant, the couple were anxious to know what their baby’s gender would be.

Kagero nodded in agreement as she put her hand over Corrin’s, their fingers interlocking. “Indeed…. But if I were to be honest, I would be happy with either a boy or a girl as long as it’s healthy. That’s all that matters to me the most.”

“If that’s what you say, but I’ve already told you that I wouldn’t mind having a girl to spoil. It’s a dad’s job to spoil his own little princess, but… you’re my inked princess that I’ll always love,” teased Corrin.

“Inked princess? Corrin, you flatter me too much.”

“I’ve never met a woman as beautiful as you covered in tattoos though. How did I get lucky enough to have met you?”

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out, I suppose,” Kagero teased back, stretching underneath the sheets before sliding out of bed. She stretched her body as she woke up to be bright and alert from the sickness earlier. “If you don’t mind, I need to get dressed….” she said, her face blushing.

Corrin’s cheeks suddenly turned red too. Sure, he saw “the goods” before, but he did not want Orochi walking in on them if he…. unsheathed his Yato again. He simply nodded and walked out of his girlfriend’s room in embarrassment before closing the door.

Now that she was alone, Kagero stepped in front of a tall mirror and took a moment to look at her appearance. Sure enough, her bump was starting to show. Wearing bundles of clothes wasn’t going to help hide it anymore. As she removed her sleeping clothes, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Since the pregnancy was starting to become more obvious and she and Corrin both posted about the baby on Facebook, no sense in hiding her bump from the public anymore.

After getting dressed, Kagero walked into the kitchen, only to find Orochi chatting away with Corrin as the two finished making breakfast.

“Say, Corrin, I’ve been meaning to ask but what are you going to do about school now that you’re having a kid? I mean…. can you really handle having a baby and school?”

“Well…. I only have one semester left of my undergraduate year, but no way am I going to drop out. Yeah, I did swear that I would take responsibility as a Dad, but dropping out of school isn’t worth it if I’m going to give my family a better future,” answered Corrin, setting utensils and plates on the table.

“I see. What about Kagero?”

“It’s just like Corrin said, I’m going to do the same,” said Kagero as she walked into the kitchen. “I’m nearly finished too, there is no way i’m giving up on pursuing my dream on becoming a tattoo artist. I’ve come too far to just quit.”

Orochi nearly jumped at the stove. She forgot that her best friend had a habit of appearing out of the shadows. She playfully punched her in the shoulder, “Geez, warn me ahead of time when you do that while I’m cooking! What are you, a ninja?”

“I suppose,” chuckled Kagero. “But, then again, I did have a strange dream the other night where I was a ninja and one of Ryoma’s retainers and he was a prince.”

“Yeah, I remember you told me about that dream. How did you describe Ryoma’s samurai armor again?” said Corrin.

Kagero paused for a second. “If I remember correctly, your brother looked like a lobster in that armor.”

“So…. Lobster Lord then?” joked Corrin.

As Orochi set breakfast on the table, she started to laugh hysterically while sitting down in a chair to the left of Kagero. “Pffff…. Lobster Lord! Hey, Corrin, remind Orochi to tell that joke to Ryoma next time she sees him!” she said, stuck in a giggling fit.

While Orochi was laughing away, Kagero quietly tapped her boyfriend on the shoulder. “Corrin?”

“Hm? Something wrong with your breakfast?”

Kagero shook her head. “No, it’s nothing like that. You may think it’s strange but….. do you think you could pick up some lobster for dinner? I have a sudden craving for them.”  
——

After that… eventful breakfast, Kagero pulled up in front of her college’s Art building on her motorbike. She then promptly locked the bike into place and gathered her painting supplies. Before going inside, Kagero self consciously looked down at her bump.

“Well…. it’s time the world knew about you. No more hiding the truth, I suppose,” Kagero said to herself. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down to ease the anxiety, Kagero gained the courage to walk into the Art building to find her way to Painting Studio.

As soon as Kagero stepped into her classroom, all of the other students stopped what they were doing to see who had entered. All eyes were on her now since some of the students were glancing at her stomach. Just as she had expected, they started to whisper amongst themselves.

Kagero sighed, guess the cat was out of the bag now. She quickly walked towards her area of the studio avoiding eye contact because she just wasn’t quite ready to answer questions about her pregnancy.

“Who knocked her up? Whoever the lucky guy is, he’s a lucky bastard.”

“Since when is she pregnant? I never saw a bump before.”

“Kagemo is probably faking it for attention since she’s a freak anyway.”

She quietly set down her backpack on the floor by an easel, ignoring the whispers from other students. Because of her being covered in tattoos and piercings along with her artwork being deemed “hellish,” she unfortunately earned the pet nickname, “Kagemo.”

Kagero harrumphed, “Imbeciles, they don’t know the truth.”

She took her art supplies out of the bag along with a sketchbook. The book was flipped open to a sketch to one of Hoshdio’s many mountains behind a grassy plain while the sun shone over everything. Kagero then hoisted a blank canvas onto an easel while getting paint buckets set up. Feeling satisfied with the setup, Kagero took earbuds out of her backpack and plugged it into her phone, turning on some music.

As the first song started to play, she skimmed her sketchbook then dipped the paintbrush into the bucket with dark red paint.

Reikoku ni hikaru saiaku na Stigma  
Orishikiru Misery…

(Cruelly shining, the worst stigma  
Misery raining down incessantly)

Open Your Eyes...

I II III IV...

Houkai shita sekai wo kono ashi de fumishimeta  
Zetsubou darake sa... Mou nanimo mienai...

  
(I tread with these feet on this world fallen into ruins  
It's filled with despair... I can't see anything anymore…)

Ah... Kizudarake no kokoro ga kurenai wo nagashi samayotte iru...

  
(Ah... My scar covered heart bleeding crimson, wandering…)

Falling Rose...Falling Rose...  
Kami yo sukui wo.... hitosuji no hikari wo...

  
(Falling Rose...Falling Rose...  
Oh God, save me... Give me a beam of light…)

  
Falling Rose...Falling Rose...  
Chiri yuku bakari no kono akai bara...

(Falling Rose...Falling Rose...  
These fallen red roses)

One thing Kagero greatly liked about being in Studio was that she could paint in peace with very little distractions. She found the silence while listening to music during painting to help her be less distracted and get work done faster. Once she started painting while listening to music, it was hard to get her attention because she would be too focused.

As the song went by, the upper portion of the white canvas was now covered in dark red paint, as if the sky itself was bloody. Kagero quickly skimmed her sketchbook to check her work. “The Sky is finished… I just need to focus on Mt. Sumeragi next. What colors would work well so that it will pop out under the red sky?...” she thought, pondering over color choices.

On the wall behind her was a pinned photograph of said mountain she took from a research trip for her painting. She put the brush back in the bucket before walking towards the wall to skim the photograph. Of course, the sky above Mt. Sumeragi was a bright clear blue but the mountain stood proud and tall with a charcoal colored body and snow piled up near the cone.

“Hmm… if I went with charcoal grey, it wouldn’t pop out underneath the red sky enough. I suppose painting it white with some shades of red wouldn’t hurt,” mused Kagero.

She turned back towards the canvas and picked up a small bottle of white paint. The paint was squeezed out of it along with red and slowly mixed the colors together. Sure enough, when mixing them, the white paint was now starting to become the right color Kagero wanted for the mountain. Feeling satisfied, Kagero grabbed a second brush and dipped the bristles into the paint in a circular motion. Just as she lifted the paintbrush with a huge gob of paint starting to drip off the edges, she suddenly lost her grip on the brush.

PLOP!

The paintbrush fell onto the floor, forming a small puddle of spilled white paint. Kagero nearly jumped when she saw the paint splatter onto the maroon fabric on her shoe.

“Oh, just great…” she sighed. She bent down to remove her shoe so she could clean it. But as she was about to pick up her stained shoe, she suddenly felt a fluttering sensation.

“What was that?!” thought Kagero, looking around her studio for any sudden intruders. Much to her disappointment, nobody except her was in the studio. Sighing with disappointment, Kagero shrugged. “Maybe Orochi’s right, I’ve been overworking myself too much lately up to the point I’m starting to imagine things. Nothing I can do about it, I suppose.”

Speak of the devil, she suddenly felt the same fluttering, again. But this time, Kagero stopped and decided to figure out WHERE it was coming from. She stopped and refrained from making any sudden movements as the sensation resumed. As if on instinct, the woman immediately placed her hand on her bump. Before she knew it, she felt the fluttering touch the palm of her hand.

Thinking back to one of the many pregnancy books she was reading the night before, the signs were too coincidental for Kagero to ignore. Putting two and two together, she simply sat down on a stool and kept her hand on her bump. “I don’t believe it, the baby just kicked, and for the first time, none the less! I didn’t think it would be active this early….

A rare smile formed on Kagero’s face as she pulled out her phone to text Corrin. After all, he IS the father and deserved to know every little moment.   
—-  
Meanwhile, in a separate lecture hall on the same campus, Corrin was slowly beginning to grow bored. Sure, he was majoring in Business, but listening to the professor drone on and on to the class was starting to wear him out. He was nearly on the verge of taking a nap when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. His face lit up when he noticed Kagero’s name pop up under text messages. He opened it to see one text message accompanied by a rare selfie of Kagero in Painting Studio holding her baby bump.

“Corrin, u will not believe this but I just felt the baby kick”   
  
Curiosity got the best of Corrin. He hurriedly unlocked his phone to quickly reply back.

“Are u serious?! That’s….. that’s amazing, I wish I could’ve been there to see it happen…”

“If I’m correct, you’re growing tiresome listening to your professor rambling?”

“Not really, Professor Gunter is amazing, but I’d rather be with u bc I can’t stop thinking about u and the baby”

Corrin suddenly felt a nudge on his shoulder. He looked up to see his professor looking over him, a look of slight annoyance on his face. He was a middle-aged Nohrian man with slicked back grey hair and had evident wrinkles on his face.

“Corrin, do you have something you wish to share with the class?” he said, raising an eyebrow at his young student.

Corrin’s face started to turn red when realizing all eyes were on him in the classroom. Sure, he had to admit he was being a bit careless by not being careful while texting Kagero. But if Professor Gunter was straight up asking him if he had anything to “share” with the class, he might as well to save the humiliation.

“Actually, yeah I do,” said Corrin, trying to remain calm, not wanting to make his professor angry.

“Oh? What could be so important over listening to my lecture?”

“You can believe me or not, but…. my girlfriend is pregnant and she just texted me that our baby moved for the first time, and yes… I am the father.”

Gunter raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Corrin was indeed one of his best students and he wanted to believe him, but just to make sure he was telling the truth… “I want to believe you, but may I see your cellphone to verify your story?” he asked.

“Yes…” said Corrin, handing the older man his phone.

Around Corrin, he could hear other students snickering and talking to each other as Gunter examined his text messages with Kagero, save for a male Nohrian student with a grey cowlick sitting next to him. Said student whispered into Corrin’s ear, “Don’t let them get to you, they don’t know the whole story.”

“Thanks, I wish it was that simple, Silas. It’s Kagero I’m more worried about. She told me people are spreading rumors about her since everyone can see that she’s pregnant,” sighed Corrin.

“Do you think you could introduce me to Kagero sometime? She sounds like an interesting person when you talk about her,” said Silas.

“Yeah, of course! She’s a bit quiet but she’ll warm up to you eventually.”

“Ahem.”

Corrin and Silas stopped talking to see Gunter looking at them both. Gunter handed Corrin his phone back and calmly said, “Corrin, please see me after class.”   
——-

After the awkward lecture, Corrin found himself sitting in a chair in front of Gunter’s desk. He had to admit he was starting to sweat bullets despite Gunter being one of his favorite professors. After all, he as a bit careless by not being careful about texting in the open.

Sitting across from him, Gunter finished typing on the computer and looked straight into Corrin’s eyes. “Corrin, I would like to apologize if it seemed like I was humiliating you in front of the class and if I had invaded your privacy. I hope you understand that I wanted to confirm you were telling the truth about your reasons for texting.”

Corrin sheepishly rubbed his hair in embarrassment. “No, I should be apologizing. But it is true that my girlfriend is pregnant. When she texted me that our baby moved for the first time, I guess I got too excited, I didn’t think straight. I’m really sorry.”

“Just this once, I will forget this incident happened and let it slide. Are we clear?”

“Yes sir, I swear it won’t happen again.”

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Gunter heard somebody knocking on the office door. He then said, “Come in!”

A young Hoshidan woman around Corrin’s age covered in tattoos with dark brown bands covering her left eye while appearing to be pregnant entered the office. She looked at Corrin, then at Gunter. Being the traditional Hoshidan she was, she bowed apologetically. “I’m truly sorry that Corrin got in trouble. Please don’t get mad at him, it was my mistake for texting him while he was in class,” she said in an apologetic tone.

Judging by her facial features, tattoos, and her bump from her photo, Gunter immediately recognized this woman as Corrin’s supposed lover. “If I may ask, are you Corrin’s girlfriend as he claims?”

Kagero nodded her head. “Yes…. I am,” she said.

“Just this once, I will forget you texted Corrin since it was a family matter and will let it slide this once, but please don’t do it again,” Gunter calmly reprimanded.

Kagero sheepishly bowed again. “Of course, I’m at fault for this incident.”   
——

It seemed like a long day at school for Kagero and Corrin, but now that they were at the doctor’s waiting for their appointment, it was worth it. It was pretty quiet in the waiting room, save for that one wailing baby or younger children being hyper from boredom. But, Kagero couldn’t help but stare at a couple babies sitting with their parents in the waiting room. Just seeing them play with their babies kind of made Kagero a bit envious, which was rare. Before she knew it, she found herself lost in a daydream.

Spring had just started in Hoshido, and that meant nature was beginning anew. The barren branches began to bore beautiful pink flowers native to Hoshido known as the Sakura, or Cherry Blossom in the Nohrian language. The sight of seeing cherry blossoms was such a delight, people simply can’t resist wanting to eat underneath a cherry blossom tree.

In a nearby park, Kagero and Corrin sat on a blanket underneath a cherry blossom tree providing enough shade. And right between them was a sleeping baby in a portable carrier. Right in the tree, a few baby Kinshi were perched on the branches happily chirping, until one got curious. The curious Kinshi flew off of the branch and found its way down onto the family’s blanket.

“Hmm? Shoo! Shoo!” said Corrin, thinking the bird was going to steal food.

Kagero put a hand onto her boyfriend’s shoulder. “Corrin, it’s fine. It’s just a baby Kinshi, they aren’t interested in human food compared to Nohrian crows.”

“Oh, I see. Sorry little one,,” Corrin apologized to the Kinshi, feeling bashful for shooing away the baby bird.

The baby Kinshi simply hopped around the blanket, oblivious to the ongoing encounter, until it noticed the baby carrier. It fluttered into the carrier and landed directly onto the baby’s stomach. Of course, the baby didn’t seem to mind the unexpected guest. A toothless smile formed on its face as it tried reaching out its chubby hands to grab the baby Kinshi…..

“Kagero? Hey, Kagero, it’s our turn!”

When she heard her name being called many times, Kagero snapped out of her trance. She down at her stomach, then at the parents sitting with their babies on the other side of the waiting room. She sighed heavily in disappointment. Of course it was just a dream. It seemed too good to be true, Kagero thought sadly.

Corrin placed his hand onto the woman’s shoulder. “Hey, Kagero, what’s gotten into you? You look distracted.”

“Oh…. It’s nothing. Let’s just go.”

Corrin wasn’t convinced that she was telling the truth. But he didn’t want to argue about it, so he just dropped the subject. With that out of the way, he and Kagero followed a red-haired woman with a side ponytail wearing scrubs into a room.

Once they all got settled, the red-haired woman in scrubs greeted the couple with a warm smile. “Hi there, are you Miss Kagero?” she asked, looking at said woman.

Kagero nodded in affirmation, trying to get comfortable in a chair. “Yes, I am. I hope it isn’t a bother if my boyfriend came along. And yes, he is the father.”

Corrin couldn’t help but stare at the nurse who was talking to his girlfriend. Surely he had seen that familiar hairstyle and particular red hair before…… “Umm… have I seen you somewhere before? I swear I saw you working at the market in downtown Hoshido at the last festival.”

The nurse raised an eyebrow in confusion, until she put two and two together. “Oh, I see. You must have seen one of my sisters, Anna. Everybody confuses us for each other because we look similar, so I get that a lot!”

“I see. What is your name?”

“It’s Anna as well.”

All Corrin could picture now was a ton of other girls resembling the nurse named Anna all sharing the same name at a family reunion. How could everybody just be named Anna? Was there a distinctive way of telling everybody apart? But, Anna’s family issues weren’t important at the moment. Snapping out of his trance, Corrin then changed the subject, “Anyway, so how are we going to find out our baby’s gender?”

“I was just getting to that. Miss Kagero, if you could lie down on this table and pull up your shirt to your chest, please?” said Anna, pointing towards an exam table with a cushion over the top.

Kagero complied, getting comfortable on the cushion so the metal table wouldn’t hurt her back. She then pulled up her tank top up to where Anna requested, exposing her baby bump.

Anna opened a small compartment on a cart underneath a computer monitor. She then placed a jar on a nearby counter and untwisted it. Inside was a clear gel. She put on plastic gloves (for sanitary purposes) and dipped her right hand onto the gel. She then slathered a little amount of the gel onto Kagero’s stomach.

Kagero didn’t expect the Anna to touch her bump. She nearly wiggled when the nurse made contact with her skin. “It’s cold…” she said to herself.

“Oh, I should’ve mentioned that. But please don’t move around too much,” said Anna, continuing to slather the gel.

Once Anna felt satisfied that enough gel was slathered for the procedure, she disposed of her gloves into the trash and booted up the monitor sitting on the cart. A black screen with white text then showed up on the screen. Anna then picked up a white instrument in the shape of a microphone, except it had a flat end.

“What is that?” asked Corrin.

“Oh this? It’s a Doppler. It emits sound waves that will show us your baby when I put it on her stomach. That’s why I slathered the gel as well, it’s a good conductor for the sound waves to give us a clear picture,” Anna eagerly explained in a way the young father could understand.

With that out of the way, Anna placed the Doppler onto Kagero’s stomach. A blurry black and white sonogram of Kagero’s body popped up on the ultrasound monitor. Anna moved around the instrument in a circular motion, looking for her target. She then stopped when she saw an all-too familiar shape she had seen numerous times on the job.

Looking at Kagero and Corrin, she pointed her finger on the shape on the computer screen. She flashed a warm smile as she spoke, “See this shape? That’s your baby! If you look closely, you can see it’s head and belly riiight here!” She lightly placed her finger on the screen to indicate the spot.

From the exam table, the couple stared at the monitor in awe. It was a grainy black and white image so not much was to be expected. Like Anna had said, lo and behold, a shape resembling a human head along with what looked like a belly was shown. Anna then asked, “So are you two wanting to know the baby’s gender or do you want to keep it a surprise?”

The parents-to-be looked at each other for a second, then nodded. Kagero spoke up, “Yes, well…. we thought over it. We already had our share of too many surprises with the pregnancy, so yes, we would like to know the gender.”

Anna nodded, “Okay, just stay in the same position you’re in.” She moved the Doppler around Kagero’s bump in various angles until she found the right spot she needed. A grainy V-shape positioned in the ultrasound of Kagero’s womb was broadcasted. Anna began examining the shape, leaving the couple in suspense.

“Corrin?” said Kagero.

“What is it?”

“Just so we are clear, it doesn’t matter to me if we have a boy or a girl. All that I am concerned about is that our baby is healthy.”

Corrin flashed a smile, gripping Kagero’s hand. “Yeah, me too. Although…. I am hoping for a little girl to spoil. It’s a dad’s job to spoil his little princess,” he teased.

“If that’s so, I guess it’s my job to make sure you don’t spoil our baby too much. You may have competition, Orochi has already asked if she could spoil them first as ‘Auntie Orochi,’” Kagero teased back.

“Excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I’ve found out what your baby’s gender is!” interjected Anna, trying not to be rude.

Corrin and Kagero focused their attention on Anna, listening to every word she said as the nurse interpreted what she was seeing on the monitor. All they could see was the same v-shape from earlier.

“If you look here, right here are the legs and in between is well… you get the idea. If you were to expect a boy, in this area would be…. the boy-bits.” Anna placed the tip of a stylus between the shape on the screen so the couple could understands “But as you can see in the ultrasound, your baby doesn’t have it. So in other words….”

“It’s a girl?....” Kagero finished.

“That’s correct! She seems to have all ten fingers and toes, so I don’t see any physical defects-“

As Anna trailed on and on, the parents-to-be just stared at their baby on the ultrasound. To think that their first child would be a girl…. the idea just seemed surreal to them. Corrin immediately held onto Kagero’s hand, his ruby red eyes meeting her chocolate brown ones. No words needed to be spoken to convey their feelings.

“....Other than that, do you have any questions to ask?”

The couple were so focused on each other, they forgot they weren’t the only people in the room. Corrin and Kagero’s cheeks turned red in embarrassment as they turned to see Anna sitting patiently. Despite the embarrassment, Corrin had the courage to speak up. “Actually, yeah. Is it okay if we have a copy of the ultrasound?”

“Of course! I can print two proofs for the both of you! Just give me one second,” said Anna, giving a warm smile. She turned around in a chair and clicked a few buttons. A printer sitting underneath the computer hummer and whirred to life. In mere seconds, two small photographs the size of an average Polaroid camera photo popped out of a small slit of the equipment. Anna fanned the proofs for a second to let the ink dry, then she handed them to the new parents.

“I would like to offer my congratulations on your baby girl. If you have any questions or if something comes up with the baby, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.” Anna reached into the front pocket of her scrubs and placed another item into the father’s hand.

Corrin turned it over to find out it was a business card with Anna’s information. He tucked it into his pants pocket. “We appre-ciate everything you’ve done for us today. Thank you so much, Anna,” he said with gratitude.

“It’s my pleasure! I would love to answer more questions, but unfortunately, I have to run to a staff meeting shortly. You can leave the room whenever you’re ready, just call me if anything comes up!”

With that said, Anna quietly left the examination room, leaving Corrin and Kagero by themselves.

Kagero just could not stop looking at the small ultrasound proof in her hand. It may have been just a blurry black-and-white image, but to her, it was enough to show that the child was alive. Her right index finger traced over the grey shape supposed to be representing the baby. Tears were starting to form beads from her eyes as she stared more at the proof.

“Kagero? What’s wrong?” asked Corrin, noticing his girlfriend was starting to cry.

Kagero wiped away a tear before staring at the proof again. “Corrin… I never told you this, but I take back every word I said about the baby being a mistake. She’s OUR mistake, but you know what? She is just as human as we are and I could never bring myself to end her life just because she was unplanned.”

Cotton placed his hand over Kagero’s, staring at the proof as well. He too was mesmerized that in this photo was his and Kagero’s baby, and the fact that she was indeed alive was a lot to take in. Looking at the grey blurry shape, he pulled the woman close to him, placing his hands around her bump. “Kagero…. thank you…” he said softly, his tone starting to become emotional.

“I don’t understand, what are you thanking me for?”

“Don’t you get it? You’re giving our daughter the gift of life. Without you, well… she wouldn’t exist. I have always loved her since you told me you were pregnant. She is more than a mistake, she is proof of our love.”

Kagero was speechless. She knew Corrin was always passionate about their relationship, but she honestly didn’t know he truly loved their unborn baby that much. Her cheeks started to turn red as she kissed him on the cheek. “Corrin… I love you… I’m really glad we’re together.” 


	4. Girls’ Day Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know, it’s been too damn long since I updated on this story, I gotta stop being lazy. I actually have more chapters on FE Amino, I’m just too lazy to add them, rip. 
> 
> I promise I’ll try to add more chapters today >>
> 
> Another thing, From this point on in the story, anytime a quote is bolded, it means that Kagero or any Hoshidan character is speaking their native Hoshidan language -aka Japanese-. I like to think that since Hoshido and Nohr is a mixed country akin to California’s diverse population in this AU, Kagero could be fluent in English as well. If you want to know what Kagero sounds like in Japanese, just look up “Kagero my room English subs” on YouTube”))

It was dusk in Nohr, and under a starry sky and a full moon, the city felt alive when illuminated by the full moon’s light. In a cul-de-sac not too far from downtown Nohr, the moon’s light was so bright, it shone through the curtain’s of Camilla’s bedroom, keeping her awake. 

The violet curly-haired woman shuffled under the covers, unable to sleep due to the moonlight in her face. She tossed and turned until she sighed and sat up under the sheets. To be frank, Camilla had a lot on her mind that she just could not stop thinking about. 

Camilla turned towards the lamp table next to her bed. She picked up a framed picture standing in front of the lamp. The picture showed her younger self along with a younger Corrin holding a wyvern plushie. She smiled at the memory, she had put a lot of love and labor into making that wyvern for Corrin (it’s hard to see but on the belly of the wyvern, Camilla intricately sewed “Made by Camilla”) and it made her happy that he still kept the plushie. 

But now that her baby brother was getting older…. she wasn’t quite ready for him to leave the nest as his Mother figure. She found herself lost looking at the full moon. A lot was on her mind lately regarding her relationship with Corrin and his…… pregnant girlfriend. 

“I want Corrin to be happy because he deserves to be, but why can’t I be more accepting of Kagero? I feel awful for just ignoring her at that dinner back then….” sighed Camilla, feeling ashamed for her behavior. She tossed and turned under the sheets again before pondering her thoughts aloud. 

“I should be grateful that Corrin has found somebody that loves him for who he is, but at the same time, I just can’t bring myself to trust his girlfriend. It isn’t fair of me the way I’m treating her when I truly haven’t gotten to know her that well. Then again, I always feel uncomfortable around Kagero. I’m supposed to be Corrin’s older caring sister, yet I can’t get myself to like her. It isn’t Kagero’s fault, it’s those damn tattoos, every time I see them on her arm, that vile woman comes back in my memories….” 

Since the first time when Corrin brought Kagero home to meet his family, Camilla truly did want to reach out and try to get to know her. But, something was holding her back from doing so. It wasn’t Kagero’s fault, there are some things the violet-haired woman wasn’t quite ready to discuss with just anyone yet. Unable to sleep and too much on her mind, Camilla quietly got out of bedside made her way down to the kitchen. 

When Camilla got to the kitchen, she expected to be the only person. But to her surprise Corrin was sitting at the table appearing to be reading a book. Corrin heard footsteps approaching and put his book down to see who was entering. 

“Camilla? Can’t sleep either?” greeted Corrin, letting out a yawn. 

Camilla pulled up a chair across from Corrin. “Yes, I suppose you could say that, darling. How come you’re up?” 

Corrin sighed, trying to think of the right words to say. “I just have a lot on my mind to think about for the future. I want you to be honest, do you think I’ll be a good dad? Don’t get me wrong, I am taking full responsibility as a Dad and I would never consider ending the baby’s life. But, tell me how you truly feel. Is it wrong of me to think about what I could’ve done to prevent this situation?” 

Growing up as the eldest sister in the family, Camilla was used to being asked for advice by Leo and Elise, especially Corrin. To think her “baby brother” would be asking her for advice on a heavy topic such as parenting, perhaps there was a lot more weight Corrin was carrying on his shoulder than she thought. 

“Corrin, what’s bothering you? I know there’s a lot more to this baby situation than you think. Perhaps your big sister might be able to give you some advice, I’m not going anywhere, so I’m willing to listen if you’re wanting to talk,” assured Camilla, bringing glasses of water for her and Corrin onto the table. 

Corrin took a swig of the water and set it down before he blurted, “Kagero and I have only told Ryoma and Xander this but the baby was unplanned.” 

“Corrin, slow down. What are you talking about?” 

“Yeah, it’s just as I said, neither one of us planned to have our daughter. The truth is……... I made a careless mistake of not wearing protection and as you can see, Kagero got pregnant because one slip-up that I’m at fault for. I’m committed to taking responsibility as the father but sometimes I ask myself if I’m truly ready to take this big step in life,” rambled Corrin, sighing heavily and running his fingers through his hair out of stress. 

Just as Camilla had expected, there was more to Corrin and Kagero suddenly having a baby out of the blue. It was true that Corrin wanted to have a family of his own someday but she did not expect him to start so suddenly. Honestly, this was the first time Camilla learned that the baby wasn’t planned but now wasn’t the time to criticize her brother’s decisions. 

“Darling, you’re stressing too much over the past. There are just some things we wish we could do over again, yet we cannot change it, no matter how hard we wish for it. I don’t know what you and Kagero were thinking, but it is clear to me that you two truly care a lot about the baby,” said Camilla. 

“Yeah, you’re right. But honestly, Kagero wasn’t too thrilled at first. She was scared that I was going to end our relationship, but I would never take advantage of her trust in me like that. Kagero has a hard time trusting people and it took lot of patience and effort for her to trust me. She was really afraid that I would leave her to raise our daughter by herself because she gets anxious when it comes to forming relationships with people. I would do anything to make her and our baby happy but I find myself wondering if I’m really ready to take a big step for my future so soon.” 

Corrin sighed heavily as he ran his fingers through his hair again out of stress. He let out a loud yawn and picked up the book of the table. “Sorry, I’m probably just rambling too much because I haven’t slept well… Thank you for listening, but I need to get some sleep,” said Corrin in an apologetic tone, worried he was being rude to Camilla. He then quietly tiptoed up the stairs presumably to finally get some sleep. 

Now that she was alone, Camilla just sat at the table, processing her conversation with Corrin. She had learned a lot more about Kagero than she initially believed and it was a lot for her to take in at once. 

“Kagero has a hard time trusting people and it took a lot of patience and effort for her to trust me.” 

“.... she gets anxious when it comes to forming relationships with people.” 

Corrin’s words rang over and over again in Camilla’s head. Sighing heavily, she found herself at conflict with her thoughts. 

I know what I said earlier about Kagero but maybe I’ve been misjudging her. I’m such a coward when it comes to being around tattooed people… But what can I do to get over this ridiculous prejudice? It isn’t right of me to treat Kagero that way because she is in no way like that woman….   
——-

Orochi let out a yawn, losing track of how many times she had yawned this morning. The fortune teller plopped into the comforter sofa, feeling like a zombie. Meanwhile, Kagero sat on the sofa near her curled up underneath a blanket with her hair down and eating what looked like ice cream topped with sprinkles in a bowl while watching TV. Her bump was starting to become more noticeable through the blanket as she entered her fifth month of pregnancy. 

Orochi resisted the urge to yawn again as she asked, “Hey Kagero, how do you like your ice cream? I hope I got it right….” 

Kagero wiped her mouth with a napkin before replying, “It’s just right. I’m very sorry I made you get up too early get me some ice cream. I feel like I’m being a selfish friend by taking advantage of you given my current state….” 

“Oh nonsense. I’ve known you for years and I know for certain that you have never treated me any less.” 

“That may be so, but still-“ 

“No buts, I would do anything for my best friend, you’re not taking advantage of me. You just need to sit back and well… dig into your ice cream.” 

There was no sense in arguing with Orochi because she did have a point. Sighing in defeat, Kagero sat back and continued to wolf down her ice cream. “No one told me eating for two was demanding,” she said between bites as she instinctively placed A hand on her stomach, shoving the dessert into her mouth. 

DING DONG! DING DONG! 

“I’ll get it,” yawned Orochi, walking towards the apartment’s front door. She peered into the peep hole, curious who was over this morning. 

Through the peephole, she saw a woman with long wavy violet hair with facial features indicating she was Nohrian. She could also tell that she was rather curvy and busty. But when Orochi saw her face, she recalled seeing it before from Kagero showing her a photo of Corrin’s large family. Sure she had never officially met her before, but if she was Corrin’s family, it didn’t seem to hurt to see what she was here for. 

Orochi unlocked the door (but not the chain latch for security reasons) and peeped through the open area to see who the visitor was. Just as she thought, it was the same woman from Corrin’s family photo. “Hm? Aren’t you Corrin’s Nohrian sister?” she asked out of curiosity. 

The woman with the curly violet hair nodded in affirmation. “Yes, I’m one of his sisters. I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Camilla. And who might you be?”

Orochi unlatched the chain latch and stepped outside in front of the apartment door. Remembering a Nohrian custom Corrin told her about, she extended her hand. “My name’s Orochi, pleasure to finally meet one of Corrin’s sisters!” she said warmly. 

“Likewise, darling,” said Camilla, accepting Orochi’s handshake. She then got to the point why she was here. “I was wondering if Kagero wanted to come shopping with me. I never really got a chance to try to get to know her and I want to make up for lost time. Is she here?” 

“Hmm…… any relative of Corrin’s is a friend of mine. But heed my words, if you take advantage of my best friend, I won’t forgive you.” 

Camilla shook her head frantically. “Please, I have no intentions of doing so. I just simply wish to understand Kagero better if she is going to marry my darling Corrin someday.” 

“I see…..” Orochi trailed off for a second. She then flashed a smile to Camilla. “Well don’t just stand out here, please, come on in!” 

Camilla followed Orochi into her apartment. When she walked in, the first thing she saw was a bundled up Kagero curled up under a blanket eating ice cream on the sofa. She was so focused on wolfing down the ice cream and watching TV as it blared its theme song she had no idea Camilla was in the apartment. 

 

“If I may ask…. why is Kagero eating ice cream at this time of day?” whispered Camilla. 

Orochi sighed, putting away a tub of ice cream Kagero forgot to store. “Don’t underestimate the power of cravings. When there’s a pregnant woman living with you, you just have to tame the beast within her.” 

In reality, Orochi did not want to have a repeat of what happens when you deny Kagero her cravings during a mood swing. Hoo boy, did she and Corrin learn not to piss off a mood swing-affected Kagero. She shuddered just thinking about it.   
——-  
((Please note that mood swings legit are a common symptom of pregnancy, so I apologize if Kagero is OOC -out of character-!)) 

“Corrin! What the hell is this?!” 

Corrin peered into the bowl. “Um… it’s a bowl of gummy Taguels you asked me to get for you, remember?” 

“Well there’s green gummy Taguels, and I don’t like the color green, so take them out,” snapped Kagero, dropping the bowl into her boyfriend’s hands. 

“Um…. okay,” said Corrin, setting the bowl on the kitchen table, awkwardly removing every single green gummy Taguel. 

“Corrin? What are you doing?” 

Corrin looked up to see Orochi looming over him. He sighed as he removed more gummies. “Kagero’s in her mood swings again, this time she doesn’t want any green gummy Taguels touching the other colors.” 

“Let me guess, she’s having picky cravings?” 

“Yeah…. she’s scary.”   
——-  
Orochi walked over to the sofa, gently shaking Kagero on the shoulder. “Kagero? There’s someone here to see you, somebody from Corrin’s family?” 

Kagero removed the blanket from her body, stretching to wake up from sitting on the couch. Camilla couldn’t help but notice that the woman’s shirt barely covered her bump. Perhaps this was good timing she was planning to invite her for clothes shopping. 

“Kagero, darling? If you’re not doing anything, I was wondering if you wanted to come shopping for maternity clothes with me. It’s my treat,” said Camilla. 

“Hm?” Kagero turned to see Camilla dressed nicely standing in front of her. She didn’t expect Corrin’s sister to suddenly show up so she felt a bit embarrassed for looking like a mess. She bowed out of embarrassment as she set her ice cream bowl on the table. “Oh, hello Camilla. Forgive me for looking unruly, I didn’t expect you to come over,” she said sheepishly. 

“Sweetie, you don’t need to apologize. If you aren’t busy, I was going to ask if you wanted to accept my offer. Not to be rude or anything but you might need some maternity clothes,” said Camilla. 

“Hm? How come?” asked Kagero, oblivious to the reason. 

“Excuse me Camilla, but could I have a word with Kagero for a second?” said Orochi. 

“Oh, it’s fine, I suppose. Go ahead.” 

Orochi then starting speaking in a language Camilla wasn’t familiar with to Kagero. “Kagero, I’m not sure if I can trust this woman. I get that she’s Corrin’s sister but you told me before that you two always feel awkward around each other.” 

Kagero raised an eyebrow in confusion as to why Orochi was speaking in her native language in front of Camilla. Why is Orochi talking to me in Japanese- Oh, I see. She doesn’t want to be rude to Camilla and leave her alone since she’s a guest. 

Cleaning her throat, Kagero’s voice came out a tad deeper as she felt her native tongue come back to her. She was so used to speaking bilingual in English that she asked Orochi to speak to her in Japanese everyday so she wouldn’t forget her native language. The same rule applied towards reading and writing for her as well. Kagero is also very good at reading and writing in English, but she still finds herself writing and reading in mostly Japanese out of habit.

“Yes, it is true that Camilla behaved strange around me the last time I had dinner with Corrin’s family. But she and Corrin are right, we haven’t really gotten to know each other. Corrin talks about how Camilla is a caring person and I… should give her a chance.” 

“Are you sure? I know how anxious and quiet you get when around new people. I’m not saying you shouldn’t go and try to get to know her, I just think this seems so sudden since Camilla just showed up at our door.” 

“I am certain. Yes…. I have to admit that I do feel my social anxiety kicking in, but Camilla is family. I don’t want to feel awkward around her anymore since the baby’s coming. If Corrin and I are to marry one day, it wouldn’t be polite of me to ignore her.” 

Orochi signed in defeat, there was no use in arguing with her best friend once her mind was made up. “Yeah, if that’s what you want to do, then Orochi won’t stop you. She already told Camilla what would happen if she takes advantage of you in anyway.” 

“I appreciate the concern, but Camilla doesn’t seem like the type of person to do that. She really cares A LOT about Corrin.” 

Kagero stopped speaking for a second and then began speaking English again to get Camilla’s attention. “Camilla? I….. I would be honored to accompany you for shopping,” she announced. 

Camilla chuckled, “You don’t need to be so formal, sweetie. Not to be rude, but it’s a good thing I decided to take you shopping. Your clothes barely cover your bump.” 

Kagero looked down at her body. Much to her embarrassment, Her favorite tank top just snugly fit. At this point, her tops couldn’t cover her entire bump and just stopped above her bellybutton. Her face turned red, realizing Camilla was right. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and get ready…”   
———

Camilla had never seen anybody get ready so quick, and in only 10 minnutes. One minute, Kagero looked unkempt and within the next 10 minutes, she had her hair up in her usual ponytail with a white ribbon, light makeup on along with a gauge lobe and a couple piercings on her right ear, and a different sized tank top that covered her bump a bit more. But now that it was just them alone without Orochi or Corrin…. the car ride was already starting to become a bit awkwardly silent. And much to Camilla’s surprise, Kagero’s tanktop exposed her tattooed arm. 

Camilla sighed as she kept her eyes on the road while driving, feeling a lump in her throat. Well… I knew Kagero was quiet around us, but I was not aware that she was THIS quiet. Maybe talking to her about Corrin might get her to talk. You can do this… just don’t focus on staring at her tattoos… 

She cleared her throat, indicating she wanted to talk, avoiding looking at the tattoos. “So… if you don’t mind me asking, what is it like having Corrin as your boyfriend?” 

Kagero raised an eyebrow, not expecting a question like that. The question seemed so sudden she wasn’t sure how to start. Not many people besides the family or Orochi ever ask about me and Corrin. Where do I even begin?..... Camilla was kind enough to invite me, the least I can do is talk to her too.

“To tell you the truth, there is a lot I highly respect about Corrin. I’m not even certain where to begin,” admitted Kagero, collecting her thoughts. 

“Is that so? Well, what do you like best about him?” asked Camilla. 

“You may already know this, but Corrin truly is a caring person. When he’s around other people he cares about, he looks past their flaws and tries to get to know them for who they really are. In fact… that is how he was able to….” 

Kagero paused for a second, trying to think of the right words. With English not being her native language, she had to occasionally stop and think of the right words to say, especially idioms (she doesn’t fully understand all of them).

She continued, “What is that English phrase you Nohrians say where someone has made you fall in love with them, it has something to do with stealing?” 

“I believe what you mean is that Corrin ‘stole your heart,’ darling,” said Camilla, flashing a smile. 

Kagero nodded her head, “Yes… that’s it, Corrin ‘stole my heart’ because he has this aura where he can get along with anybody, even with quiet people like myself.” 

“That sounds exactly like my dear brother, always reaching out to others.” Camilla placed her fingers on a touchscreen for the radio, trying to think of another topic to talk about instead of just Corrin. “If you don’t mind, I would like to put some music on…” she said, scrolling down the CD list. 

“Not at all, go ahead.” said Kagero. 

After a bit of scrolling, Camilla found the CD she wanted and tapped the touchscreen. The radio went silent….. only to then start blasting what sounded like pop music, then the Hoshidan language could be heard. 

Kiss!   
Tobashite tsuresaritai kara   
Henji wa iranai no mondou muyou no   
Kiss!!   
Ki no nai soburi wa uso desho?   
Sono me ga atsuitte mou shitteru yo-

((Kiss!   
I want to take flight and take you away   
I don't need a response, don't bother arguing   
Kiss!!   
Your indifference is a lie, isn’t it?  
I already know there’s passion in your eyes)) 

“I don’t know what kind of music you like so I hope you don’t mind if I played some in your native language,” said Camilla. 

“Oh, so you heard me speaking to Orochi in Hoshidan? My apologies, she wanted to discuss something with me in private but she didn’t want to leave you by yourself,” Kagero sheepishly apologized. 

Camilla nodded, “Oh it’s quite alright. I’m actually surprised that you don’t have an accent. How old were you when you learned English?” 

“I was…….. required to study English since I was a child, at four years old. You may not believe me but I had to practice reading, writing and speaking in English until I could speak without an accent and be…..” Kagero trailed off again, lost in translation. She quickly turned on her phone and punched in Hoshidan characters into an English translator.

“Fluent, that’s the word. I had to read, write and speak in English every single day until I could be fluent in it and my native language with no accent. Enough talking about me, I am certain I have heard this song somewhere before.” 

“Elise has been telling me about this anime called ‘Love Live Sunshine’ that she and Sakura love to watch together. She had me listen to the music one day and it’s…. rather catchy. The name of the song is ‘Guilty Kiss,’ I believe.” 

Kagero heard the song continue, feeling her brain click as her native tongue slipped in. She did have to admit for an anisong, it was rather catchy just as Camilla said. Being the stoic person, it was hard to resist the urge to sing. What is this feeling? My feet and hands refuse to stop moving along to the song and there’s this urge inside of me to sing. Normally I would never do this because it looks foolish, but if Camilla enjoys it, I suppose it would not hurt to have fun. 

Clearing her throat, Kagero’s voice changed pitch as she started to belt out Hoshidan to follow the song. There was no sense in stopping since the beat was indeed hard to resist. 

Daitan na no wa umaretsuki na no sa   
Sou iu koto ni shite okeba   
Honnou makase sore shikanai ne   
Saa kocchi kite?

((If I were to tell you   
That I was born audacious   
There's no reason to rely on anything but instinct   
So, won't you come here?)) 

You calling calling

You calling calling

"Guilty Kiss" Yume mitai na One night   
"Guilty Kiss" Odori akasou yo   
"Guilty Kiss" Subete wa sugisatteku no dakara koso kirei sa   
"Guilty Kiss" Yume mitai na One night   
"Guilty Kiss" Odori akasou yo   
"Guilty Kiss" Subete ga sugisatta ato watashitachi Fall in love... yes!!

((Guilty Kiss" One night, like a dream   
"Guilty Kiss" Let's dance all night   
"Guilty Kiss" Everything will pass us by, that's why it's so pretty   
"Guilty Kiss" One night, like a dream   
"Guilty Kiss" Let's dance all night   
"Guilty Kiss" After everything passes by us, we'll Fall in love...yes!!)) 

Sasowareta garu nante toomawari shinai kara   
Tsuyosugiru you ni mieru kamo Oh yeah!   
Aitai toki ni ai ni ikitai Passion!   
Kimi mo sono tsumori de ite yo   
Wagamama dakedo aishite Destiny   
Kaeru ki wa nai no   
Aitai toki ni ai ni ikitai yo osaetari shinai   
Hoshii mono wa ubaitai Guilty Kiss!

((I won't be roundabout like acting eager to be invited   
Maybe that makes me seem too tough, Oh yeah!   
When I want to see you, I want to go see you, Passion!   
That should be your intention as well!   
It might be selfish, but I love you, Destiny   
And I don't feel like changing   
When I want to see you, I want to go see you! I won't be held back   
I want to snatch what I want, Guilty Kiss!))

You calling calling

You calling calling

"Guilty Kiss" Yume mitai na One night   
"Guilty Kiss" Odori akasou yo   
"Guilty Kiss" Subete wa sugisatteku no dakara koso kirei sa   
"Guilty Kiss" Yume mitai na One night   
"Guilty Kiss" Odori akasou yo   
"Guilty Kiss" Subete ga sugisatta ato watashitachi Fall in love... yes!!

(("Guilty Kiss" One night, like a dream   
"Guilty Kiss" Let's dance all night   
"Guilty Kiss" Everything will pass us by, that's why it's so pretty   
"Guilty Kiss" One night, like a dream   
"Guilty Kiss" Let's dance all night   
"Guilty Kiss" After everything passes by us, we'll Fall in love...yes!!))  
Guilty Kiss, Guilty Night, Guilty Kiss, Guilty Night! 

Guilty Kiss, Guilty Night, Guilty Kiss, Guilty Night! 

By the time the song ended, Kagero quickly felt her face turn red. Normally she would never sing so loudly but if she was alone, a different story. Her cheeks blushed red as Camilla smiled and eagerly clapped. “That was amazing. You didn’t tell me you were quite the bilingual singer,” she commented, genuinely wowed. 

Kagero shook her head to speak in English, her face still red. “Please, it’s nothing, really. Singing was another lesson I had to acquire when I was younger as well. I will admit that it helps me remember to not forget my native language. Corrin doesn’t know about this so I ask of you not to tell him until I’m comfortable.” 

“Your secret is safe with me, darling. You can trust this face, can’t you?” teased the eldest Nohrian sister. 

Little did Kagero know that Camilla had her phone’s camera well hidden out of sight, having recorded the entire thing. When she wasn’t looking, a mischievous yet playful smile formed onto Camilla’s face. 

——

By the time it hit late afternoon, Camilla smiled in victory as she and Kagero had a successful maternity clothes shopping trip. Kagero was a tad shy about buying more “womanly” clothes since she liked wearing tops to show off her tattooed body, but she eventually eased into the idea and became comfortable with it. 

Kagero stared back at the three large shopping bags filled with the new clothes she and Camilla found. “Camilla, you didn’t have to buy all of those clothes for me. I could have-“ 

“Nonsense, the clothes are a gift! You shouldn’t feel ashamed to feel beautiful in them. Clearly, Corrin doesn’t spoil you enough, dear,” teased Camilla. 

“Why would Corrin spoil me? I don’t want him to spend all of his money to make me happy. Just having him around to be with me and the baby is more than enough.” 

“It’s because Corrin wants to pamper you because in his eyes, you’re the one he cares about the most and would do anything for you. After all, he truly is excited to be a dad. He wants you to feel special.” 

“I never thought of it that way, I just assumed Corrin likes to spoil me because he feels like he should,” sighed Kagero. She pulled up a large Forever 21 bag as she picked up a couple maternity tops, eyeing them curiously. “You didn’t have to buy me all of these clothes, but I appreciate the sentiment.” 

“Thinking nothing of it. Consider it my gift to you and the baby.” 

Kagero put her new clothes into the shopping bag before placing back into the backseat of the car. She slouched in the car seat, lowering the back of it. She let out a heavy sigh. 

At a red light, Camilla stopped and noticed what the woman was doing. “Kagero, what’s wrong?” 

Kagero sighed, “It’s just the baby, she’s been making me more tired lately.” She instinctively put her hands around her belly protectively. 

“Now that I think about it, have you and Corrin thought of a name for her?” 

The tattooed woman nodded. “Corrin has talked about possibly naming her Mikoto, after his mother. I can understand why he would want to remember her, but I’m not certain if that is the right name for our child.” 

“Mikoto….. I like that name.” 

“Indeed, as do I.” 

The pregnant mother leaned back into the seat. She found herself becoming more tired and physically exhausted lately, presumably from the baby weight. Besides being more tired, she felt her thoughts run. It was kind of Camilla to spend the day with me, but why is she suddenly doing this now? She avoided me at the last dinner and I could tell she felt uncomfortable around me too. I’m not saying that I’m not grateful for her doing all this for me. It just seems….. odd. 

“Camilla? There is something I want to ask you, if it is alright. Before, you would avoid me and now all of a sudden, you want to spend a day with me. Is something bothering you?” Kagero asked calmly in a serious tone, sitting up in her seat. 

Camilla nearly froze when Kagero asked that question, but she resisted the urge and kept her focus on the road. She stopped at a red light as she sighed heavily. “You’re right…. it’s true that I haven’t been spending much time with you until now. But listen sweetie, it has nothing to do with you, I promise, but there are some things me that I’m not completely comfortable with telling you so soon. I know it’s not the answer you wanted but please, I don’t want to fight with you when we’re supposed to have a fun day together.” 

“Is that so?.... I do wish you could trust in me and speak what is on your mind. I feel like you’re hiding something from me and before, you have always felt uncomfortable around me. You don’t have to lie to me, I could tell by your body language and expressions you felt uneasy because of my presence.” 

“I know an apology won’t make up for how I’ve been treating you before, but I’m not quite ready to tell you some things about me. I promise I will tell you when the time comes, but now isn’t a good time. Can you please respect that?” 

As much as Kagero wanted to know the truth, she held herself back. Camilla was kind enough to spend a whole day with me and buy new clothes for me. I don’t want to risk ruining our relationship so I suppose I’ll let it go for now. Maybe Corrin might know more…. 

The tattooed woman nodded her head. “Yes. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable by asking insensitive questions,” she genuinely apologized. 

Camilla suddenly stopped the car, setting it into Park Mode. Kagero looked out the window to realize that she just arrived back at the apartment complex she and Orochi lived in. Camilla got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side. She helped Kagero undo her seat belt. 

“No, you didn’t know, just please don’t ask again until I’m ready to tell you. I know you meant no harm,” said Camilla, accepting the apology. 

Kagero silently nodded as she retrieved the shopping bags from today. She and Camilla then walked up the stairs until finding the right apartment number. Before Kagero could even pull the door keys out, the door opened suddenly to be greeted by Orochi. 

“Hey! How was your girls’ day out? Did you two shop until you dropped?” 

“Shop until I drop?.... Why would I want to drop dead on the floor from shopping?” asked Kagero, clearly confused by the idiom. 

Camilla chuckled, placing her hand onto the woman’s shoulder. “Kagero, sweetie, shop until you drop means you buy things until you’re tired from shopping. Orochi doesn’t want to wish you death, she was only teasing.” 

“Oh, I see. It seems I need to study these Nohrian sayings more.” Kagero picked up the shopping bags, but not before bowing to Camilla. “I want to thank you again for taking me shopping. You didn’t have to do all of this for me, but I’m grateful for you thinking of me.” 

Camilla flashed a warm smile. “Think nothing of it, I just wanted to make up for not spending enough time with you. Call me again if you want to hang out again.” She was just about to leave when she suddenly stopped. She opened her purse and dug into it until she found what she was looking for,

“Oh, wait! Before I forget, this is for the baby,” she said, handing a purple gift bag to Orochi since Kagero was carrying too many bags. 

“Camilla, thank you. You didn’t have to give me a gift but I appreciate the thought,” thanked Kagero. 

Camilla turned around as she lowered sunglasses to cover her eyes. “You’re welcome. You know my number if you want to go shopping with me again.” She then descended down the stairs of the apartment complex, disappearing out of sight. 

Now that Camilla was out of sight, Orochi eyed the gift bag with curiosity. “Oh? What could Camilla have given you?” 

Kagero shrugged as she walked into her and Orochi’s apartment, plopping onto the couch. “That is what I would like to find out as well. She said it was for the baby.” 

She placed it on her lap (her bump was making it hard to keep it from falling over) as she removed the purple gift tissue. The last piece of gift tissue was gone. Kagero lowered her hand into the bag to feel around the item since she wanted to be surprised. 

“Well? Don’t keep Orochi waiting, what is it?” Orochi asked, clearly wanting to know. 

“It feels… soft to touch.” Kagero pulled her hand out of the bag and to her surprise, the gift was wrapped in more purple gift tissue along. She undid the tissue, only to reveal…. 

Orochi nearly squealed loudly when she saw what Camilla had given to her best friend for the baby. She grabbed it out of Kagero’s hands and held it up to her face. “Oh. My. God. It’s so cute!” 

Kagero winced. She forgot that her best friend could be rather loud when excited. “Orochi, not so loud please.” 

Orochi plopped Camilla’s gift onto Kagero’s lap. “Oops, my bad, but seriously, look at how cute he is!!” 

Kagero picked up the gift, eyeing it curiously. It was a medium-sized wyvern plush with red eyes made out of purple fabric with Nohr’s insignia. As a seamstress, Kagero could tell by the stitching and fabric that the wyvern was uniquely handmade. 

“Well, I have to admit that he is rather cuddly and…. cute,” she said, her face blushing. 

“Hey, there’s something sewn on his belly.” Orochi picked up the wyvern, examining the writing. It was written in Nohrian English but Orochi has no problem reading it despite it being in Cursive. “Made with love by Camilla,” she read. 

“Awww…. I misjudged Camilla, she’s really caring about her family, even you.” 

Kagero nodded, taking the wyvern plush back. “Indeed. I had no idea she was this talented, I need to pay her back somehow.” 

“Kagero, you don’t need to pay her any money. She made this Wyvern plush because she wanted to give something special to you and Corrin for the baby.” 

“I see.” Kagero pulled out her phone and took a quick photo of the plush. “I need to tell her thank you for the gift.”   
——-  
Later that evening: Camilla’s room 

Camilla plopped onto her bed, dressed in her pajamas and exhausted from a long day. She sprawled all over it as she let out a heavy sigh. “Today was certainly… interesting… but I’m glad I got to spend time with Kagero. She isn’t so bad, for someone with tattoos…” 

Ding! Ding! 

Curious, Camilla picked up her phone. She turned it on to see a text message notification from Kagero. “Hm? What’s this?” 

She unlocked the phone and opened the messages app, clicking on Kagero’s name. To her surprise, a picture of her handmade gift was shown. Camilla read the message: “Thank you very much for your wyvern plush. You are very talented, I appreciate you thinking of me and the baby. I truly had a splendid day with you. If you don’t mind, I would be pleased to shop with you again.” 

Camilla couldn’t help but chuckle. “Ufufu, she’s just as formal in texts just like Corrin said. I’ll text her tomorrow, I’m exhausted…”   
—-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, I do have more chapters to import from FE Amino so keep ur eyes peeled for more chapters! I hope y’all like this story so don’t hesitate to leave a comment! ^^


	5. I couldn’t come up with a cool title, forgive me ;-;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter 5! Got about three more to import from FE Amino and I’ll be pretty much up to speed!!

Kagero stretched underneath the bed sheets. She felt her arms and legs feel less worn out the more she stretched, though she felt a chill due to the cold December weather reeling in. Feeling her eyes flutter open (er, eye, since her long bangs covered one side of her face), she turned over to see Corrin sleeping besides her in her bed. Corrin was sound asleep on his side where only Kagero could see his bare back and the back of his head. 

Kagero’s face quickly turned red upon remembering the reason Corrin was sleeping without a shirt on. She consciously covered her body with the sheets, thankful that Orochi was away visiting her parents so she wouldn’t walk in on them. Without making any noise, she got out of bed and put her discarded clothes on the floor back on. She then quietly tiptoed down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. 

“I hope Corrin doesn’t mind having grilled fish and rice for breakfast...” Kagero muttered to herself, opening the fridge to pull out two fishes. She walked into the cabinet and came back with a box of panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and a package of white rice. The fishes were then tossed and coated in the panko until they were entirely covered. 

The rice cooker was still on the counter from last night, much to Kagero’s relief. Having to bend down to search through the cabinets to find it while pregnant wasn’t easy. She hoisted it onto the counter and scooped a couple handfuls of rice inside of it before dowsing it with water. The rice cooker was then plugged into the wall as a red light turned on, indicating it was now cooking. 

With that done, Kagero drizzled oil into the pan. The pan sizzled to life when the oil cane in contact with the surface. She carefully placed the fish in it to avoid being splashed by warm oil. Now that both foods were cooking, Kagero felt satisfied. 

Corrin yawned, walking into the kitchen. He noticed his girlfriend was working away to prepare breakfast. Forming a mischievous smirk on his face, he walked slowly, quietly creeping up behind her as his hands were readily positioned to touch her on the sides- 

“Corrin, if you are trying to surprise me, you can stop. I know you’re there,” called out Kagero, not turning her head around. 

Corrin put his arms around Kagero’s bump, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek. “Are you sure you aren’t secretly a ninja? You couldn’t have detected my presence so easily if you weren’t,” he jokingly said. 

Kagero chuckled, “Perhaps. That is for me to know and for you to find out.” 

“Anyway, do you need me to help? I feel bad for sleeping in while you’re doing all of the work.” 

“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about, I’m nearly finished with making breakfast. You can set the table if you want.” 

Corrin nodded, gathering two small square plates and rice bowls from the cabinets. He then picked up two sets of chopsticks stored in the cabinet drawers. Once he finished setting the table, Kagero was already done making breakfast. The woman brought the fish and rice onto the table, placing both dishes over a cloth made out of oven mitt material. 

Kagero pulled up into a chair. Being the traditional Hoshidan she was, she pressed her hands together and said one word in her native language: 「いただきます。」((“I humbly receive.”)) She then picked up her chopsticks and started placing food onto the plate. 

Corrin chuckled as he watched Kagero do her traditional “prayers” before eating, as usual. Growing up in a Nohrian household, he was always interested in the unique customs his girlfriend engaged in. Kagero was always devout in it and it was rather fascinating to witness firsthand. 

“So, I’ve been thinking.... we should probably start looking at furniture for our baby’s nursery. It won’t be long before she’s due,” said Corrin, scooping rice into a bowl, starting a conversation. 

Kagero munched on a piece of fish, before replying, “Yes... that is true. I’ve talked to Orochi and she doesn’t mind if the baby stays with us in the apartment until we find a place of our own. There’s space in my bedroom to place a crib and a changing table.” 

“Right, do you want to go look at Babies R Us for a crib later today?” 

“Babies R Us?.... Is there a Toys R Us store as well?” 

Corrin raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, there is. Why?” 

“Oh um...... no reason, just curious,” Kagero quickly said, resuming to eat breakfast. 

Corrin could’ve sworn he saw his girlfriend’s face light up when he mentioned Toys R Us, but he shrugged it off and continued to finish breakfast as well.   
——   
Later that morning.....   
HOSHIDO- Babies R Us/Toys R Us 

Kagero had never seen so many children and babies together in one store before. While most of the kids weren’t being rowdy, some of them were running around excitedly looking at various toys. 

“Kagero? Babies R Us is this way,” said Corrin, tapping her on the shoulder. He gestured his thumb towards the right half of the store, which clearly displayed a ton of supplies for babies. 

The woman shook her head, snapping out of her trance. “Oh, I see...” she said quietly to herself. She immediately grabbed Corrin’s hand, not wanting to let go. 

“You’re alright, I’m not going to go anywhere without you,” reassured Corrin. When Kagero did that in public, that meant she was feeling anxious about being surrounded by too many people in one setting. He then squeezed her hand tightly to let her know that he would stay by her side. 

Kagero flashed a little smile, indicating she felt at ease. As the couple walked towards Babies R Us, she took a moment to look around her surroundings. Parents and parents-to-be were seen pushing their babies in shopping carts, playing with them, and tending to the cranky ones. Kagero couldn’t help but stare at the parents who already had their babies. However, a couple parents with said babies noticed Kagero was staring. They took one look at her appearance and hurriedly moved away. 

A man whispered to his wife, “I feel sorry for the kid who’s going to have a delinquent like her as her mother. Was she that desperate to have kids?” 

The woman, who was pushing her child in a cart, nervously stared at Kagero as she nodded in agreement. “I can’t imagine a child growing up with someone covered in tattoos as their parent. I mean, those so-called ‘piercings’ on her ears are rather… gaudy,” she said, referring to Kagero’s lobe gauge and gold ring piercings. 

“Come on, dear, let’s go look somewhere else so we don’t have to be near that delinquent.” 

“Agreed.” 

Corrin’s pointed ears quickly picked up his girlfriends’s trademark sigh. He stopped for a second, guiding her away from the walkway. “I know that sigh, what’s wrong?” he asked. 

Kagero looked down towards her growing bump then at the parents who had their babies with them. She sighed, “I want you to be honest. Do you think I will truly be a good mother?” 

“Where is this coming from? I’m certain that you can, what’s bothering you?” 

“I’m..... not like most people. I’m covered in tattoos and I pierce my ears. People always say that my art is too gloomy or depressing, and I’m quiet around others. You could say that..... I’m worried our daughter will be afraid of me when she gets a little older because of my appearance and my art,” confessed Kagero, a hint of sadness in her voice. 

“Why do you think she would be afraid of you?” asked Corrin, genuinely concerned. 

Kagero sighed, trying not to raise her voice. “You seriously don’t get it. Do you know what it’s like to have people constantly stare at you everywhere you go? As soon as we walked into the store, I saw parents stare at me, whisper to each other as if I was a freak, and pull their children closer to them. I don’t know, I’m.... tired of people treating me like I don’t fit in.” 

“Kagero..... look at me, ok?” Corrin grabbed Kagero’s left arm. He ran his fingers over the tattoos of an Oni mask on fire and an eyeball bleeding. They were well detailed but ominous looking since she had designed both tattoos herself. “Stop talking bad about yourself. Sure, I get upset when people judge you by your appearance but I like you the way you are. I love everything about you: Your eyes, your piercings, you tattoos, and.....“ 

“Corrin, I know you’re about to mention my breasts, I see you stare at them all the time,” Kagero deadpanned. 

The young man’s face turned red, quickly shaking his head. He then spoke in a serious tone, “Okay, you’re not wrong but that’s not the point I’m getting at. I don’t like you just because of your appearance. Many people won’t give you a chance for them to get to know you. What they don’t know is that you may be quiet, but you’re loyal and caring to those close to you.... even me.Who cares what others think? I love you exactly the way you are. I don’t care if our daughter was unplanned, she’s the very proof of our love and I want to raise her with you. I can’t think of a better mother for her than you.” 

“Surely by now, you’ve gotten tired of trying to brighten my mood whenever I am not myself.” 

“Me get tired of you? What are you talking about? I could never do that to you, after all we’ve been through. I want to be a part of Kana’s life and be there for her and you every step of the way.” 

Kagero sighed, pulling Corrin close to her as she kissed him on the cheek. “You’re going to be a wonderful father, I’m certain of it. I couldn’t be any happier to have a child with you.” 

“Yeah, I could say the same. Do you feel a bit better now?” 

“I suppose, though I’m certain people are going to stare and whisper at me, as usual.” 

“You don’t need their negativity ruining your day, just ignore them. I’ll be right beside you, ok?” said Corrin, grabbing Kagero’s hand. 

Kagero eagerly accepted, gripping her boyfriend’s hand for comfort. “Yes, I would like that.” 

After cheering Kagero up, the couple went around Babies R Us looking for things for Kana. First things first, they needed a crib that would fit in Kagero’s room. As soon as they arrived in the crib section, there were rows of cribs in different colors with different themed mobiles. 

“Corrin, which crib do you think we should get?” said Kagero, not sure which one to choose from. 

Corrin looked at each of the crib color options on a small pamphlet. He opened it, showing a chart to Kagero. “The crib colors they offer are blue, white, grey, brown, and black. But I’m not too concerned about the color right now. What nursery theme did you have in mind for when we get our own place?” 

“Well... what do you think of dragons? I’ve been thinking of painting a mural for the nursery for our own house. Here, I have a sketch of it,” said Kagero, as she opened her backpack to pull out her sketchbook. She flipped through the book until she found her sketch. 

Curious, Corrin peered over Kagero’s shoulder. It depicted three dragons flying in a circle: A golden dragon with feathery wings, a yellow dragon with seaweed-like wings and tail feathers, and a dragon that looked like a giant fluffy chicken. But over in the corner, a giant ominous looking dragon head with curved horns, an underbite with sharp teeth, and six red glowing eyes could be seen. 

Corrin nearly shuddered at the dark dragon. He had heard legends and stories of a prince and a tactician from long ago slay a dragon eerily similar to the one in Kagero’s sketch. Of course his girlfriend’s dark sense of art would be included, it was practically hard for the woman to not include something “edgy” in her art, as many people have described. 

“Corrin, do you like it? I saw you shudder at Grima in my sketch,” said Kagero, looking concerned. “If you don’t like Grima being in there, I can take him out-“ 

“Oh, no no, it’s fine. Grima can stay, I just didn’t expect him to be in a nursery mural. I have to say, you did an amazing job on the sketch.” 

“Thank you,” said Kagero, quickly kissing Corrin on the cheek while putting away her sketchbook. “To tell you the truth, I thought about drawing a Pegasus but I didn’t want to stick to traditional nursery themes, I wanted our daughter to have a unique one.” 

“So that’s where you got the idea to use dragons?” 

“Yes. As much as I’d want paint this in the apartment, it’ll have to wait until we get a house. Orochi and I are simply renting it for school.” 

“Yeah, that’s true. Let’s see if any cribs have dragons in them,” suggested Corrin, looking at the cribs.

Kagero simply nodded, following Corrin as the two of them looked at each and every crib with a themed mobile. Much to their disappointment, most of the mobiles they saw were dogs, cats, Taguels, bears, safari and jungle Laguz, and sheep with cotton candy pink wool. Just as Corrin was about to give up and suggest searching another store, he heard Kagero calling him. 

“Corrin, I found one with a dragon, it’s the last crib!” called Kagero, waving him over as she stood in front of a oak brown crib on the right side of the row displaying cribs. Curious, Corrin walked over to where Kagero was standing. In front of him was a display of an oak brown crib decked out with a dragon bedsheet set, a dragon blanket, and surprise, surprise, a mobile with Manaketes. 

“Sweet! How much is it?” asked Corrin, checking his wallet for his credit card. 

Kagero carefully knelt down (bending down while pregnant isn’t easy) to pick up the price tag on the crib. “It’s 13, 000-,” she read. 

Corrin nearly dropped his wallet hearing the price. He closed it, putting it back in his pocket. “I’m not paying that much for a crib. Come on, we can look-“ 

“Corrin, if you would let me finish....” 

“Seriously, who pays 13,000 dollars for a crib?!” 

“Corrin! It’s in Yen, not Nohrian dollars!” 

“Wait, what?” 

Kagero tried her best not to slap her head out of frustration. She knew her boyfriend was trying to understand her culture better, but he could be so dense when it came to reading the currency. She grabbed his hand and guided his finger along the price tag. 

“Remember, we’re in a Hoshidan Babies R Us. That means that you would be paying in Yen, not Nohrian dollars. Don’t be alarmed by the numbers. Do you see the “Y” symbol with two lines going through it AFTER the 13,000? Also, 13,000¥ is roughly equivalent to $130 Nohrian dollars.” she explained calmly. 

Corrin carefully scanned the price tag. Sure enough, it did say 13,000. But instead of seeing the traditional S dollar sign with two lines BEFORE the price, he noticed the Y symbol with two lines was AFTER the price where Kagero indicated. “Oh, I see. I feel dumb for not reading the entire tag. The 13,000 part caught me off guard,” he said sheepishly. 

Kagero sighed as she wrote down the number of the crib before leaving to show it to an employee. “You and I are going to have to work on you understanding Hoshidan currency and conversions later.”   
—— 

Later the same day, after hauling the crib and a changing table into the car and spending the afternoon assembling (and swearing) both items together, Corrin dropped onto Kagero’s bed in relief. In Kagero’s room across from her bed, the oak brown crib with the dragon decor proudly stood (showing no more signs of falling from loose screws, much to Corrin’s relief). All it needed was the baby, which… wasn’t born yet. 

Kagero sat down next to Corrin, holding his hand. “Corrin, you could’ve let me help but… you did an amazing job. Thank you.” 

Corrin sighed from exhaustion, wiping sweat from his face. “It’s nothing but I’m not going to let you overwork yourself before the baby arrives. What you needed was manpower to put together that disaster of a crib,” he teased, having flashbacks to the crib falling from loose screws. The young man gathered the strength to sit up as he pulled Kagero close to him as the two looked at the crib.

“I don’t know about you, but I wish our daughter was in our arms right now. Her crib is ready, so I don’t see why she won’t come of there now,” teased Corrin, placing a hand on Kagero’s bump. 

Kagero reached over to the lamp table besides her bed to pick up a small photo frame. She stared at it lovingly, placing Corrin’s hand on it. In the frame was the first ultrasound photo of their daughter from when they found out her gender. “If I’ll be honest, I used to think that our daughter was nothing but a mistake at first. I was a fool to think that way. She may have been unplanned, but I’m okay with it, because she’s our mistake. I look forward to raising her together with you. I’m certain you will be a wonderful father. 

“I know I’ve said this a lot when we first started dating, but I’ve always wanted to start a family of my own. I’m more than happy to start it with you. I have no regrets making that mistake with you either. Speaking of mistakes, are you in the mood for um…..” 

Before Corrin could continue, he was cut off by Kagero suddenly kissing him as she wrapped her arms around his body. Corrin has to admit he was caught off guard since Kagero usually never took control. It didn’t take long before he started to remove his shirt- 

((A/N: Okay, I know y’all are thirsty and want to see the “S+ Support” but I don’t wanna get banned from Amino lmao, so I’ll leave what happens to your imagination ))

Corrin plopped under the sheets, exhausted from nature taking its course. Sweat rolled down his head and chest as he wiped it away while panting from exhaustion. Next to him, Kagero looked a lot more worn out from the pregnancy making her more physically tired. Her ponytail had become undone and long, dark brown hair flowed underneath her. It was times like this that Kagero was thankful Orochi was away visiting her parents so she wouldn’t “accidentally” walk in on them. 

“Kagero, I’ve been thinking, we haven’t really settled on a name for our daughter,” panted Corrin. 

Kagero shuffled underneath the sheets to face her boyfriend. “I suppose you’re right. It won’t be long before she’s due. I don’t want to keep just calling her ‘our daughter.’ I know you were thinking of naming her Mikoto after your mother, but what other names did you have in mind?” 

Corrin paused for a second. He ran his fingers through his unruly hair, thinking of names. “Besides Mikoto, I’ve thought of Myrrh, Nowi, and Nah-“ 

“Corrin, I am not naming our baby ‘Nah.’ Can you imagine someone asking her for her name and she answers with ‘Nah’?” interjected Kagero. 

“Okay, okay, I give up on Nah. What’s your idea then?” 

“How does the name Kana sound?” 

“Kana?” 

Kagero nodded. “Yes, that’s my suggestion. It’s a Hoshidan name. I’m not certain how to describe it, but I feel like as if this is the perfect name for our baby. What do you think?” 

Corrin sighed, scooting himself closer to Kagero under the sheets. “Honestly, I thought you would like naming her after my mother. Don’t get me wrong, I like your name suggestion but I feel biased towards Mikoto.” 

“I see. What if we made Mikoto her……. What’s the second name in English for a full Nohrian name?” asked Kagero, lost in translation. 

“Oh yeah, you mean a middle name. Are you suggesting that we make Mikoto her middle name?” 

Kagero nodded, understanding the phrase. “Yes, do you not think it would be a suitable middle name?” she asked. 

“Kana Mikoto…. Yeah, I like how it sounds. It’s a perfect mix of both of our name suggestions, you came up with a perfect idea.” 

“So, you are okay with the name Kana Mikoto?” 

Corrin simply nodded, wrapping his arms around Kagero’s back as he kissed her on the cheek. Her hair was still all over the place so Corrin was rather pleased to smell her freshly washed hair, carrying a pleasant cherry blossom scent. “I’m certain of it. It’s the perfect name for our daughter, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Kagero was speechless by Corrin suddenly embracing her. Nonetheless, she felt safe and protected. When she was with him, it was as if he was protecting him no matter what. The woman embraced Corrin back, kissing him back as well. 

“You're so important to everyone on our side, but you're the most important to me. ...My Corrin.”   
——-  
And that’s Chapter 5! Real talk, I need help on deciding a last name for both Corrin and Kagero. If y’all could suggest some last names for the two, I would greatly appreciate it! ;—;


	6. Unpleasant Memories

Wow, this is the fastest time I’ve ever written a chapter. I just want to say that in this chapter, it’s gonna get pretty long since we’ll start to take a look into this AU’s Kagero’s history and develop her background a lot more. I won’t say too much but let’s just say it’ll be something too look forward to. 

Regardless, I hope you enjoy as usual!   
——

Darkness was all she saw. Kagero winced as she put a hand above her face to shield her eye from the harsh sunlight of the dark red sun floating in the crimson sky. No matter where she looked, the sky always bore the same color: a dark, crimson blood red color with ominous clouds trailing behind. 

Kagero shuddered as she walked along the road underneath the gloomy-looking sky, matching her crimson outfit. However, she was donning what resembled an ancient Hoshidan kunoichi’s outfit.   
Everything around her looked lifeless and unlively, from the withered Sakura trees to the lonely atmosphere. No other people were to be seen along with wildlife. Not even birds and Kinshi sang their song in the skies.

She sighed heavily as she stopped to rest against a dead Sakura tree. Traveling while pregnant was not an easy journey for one lone person. Moments passed by after watching the ominous-looking clouds in the gloomy colored sky. Kagero placed a hand on her growing bump. “It may be just you and me for a while, but I promise I will keep you safe, even if it costs me my life,” swore the mother, speaking to her unborn child as if she was alive. 

Just as Kagero was about to get up to keep moving, a sound that sounded like clogging could be heard coming beyond the rotting bridge by the dead tree. Her trained sense of hearing quickly picked up the noise. Being the alert and cautious person she was, Kagero quickly whipped out a Shuriken, ready to chuck it to protect herself and her child. 

CLICK CLACK! CLICK CLACK! 

The clicking sound was getting closer and closer to the bridge. As much as Kagero wanted to hightail it out of here, she had to stand her ground and protect her unborn child. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, her hands were beginning to become moist from gripping the shuriken so tightly. She resisted the urge to let a lump pass down her throat. 

“No matter what, I will not give up on my child. I will not run, if they wish to bring harm to her, they must get through me first,” Kagero said to herself quietly. 

CREAAAAK! Kagero readied her shuriken upon hearing the old bridge creak. Sweat rolled down her head faster, her heart began to beat rapidly, and her muscles felt tense, ready to strike. The woman stayed hidden behind the dead cherry blossom tree (since the flowers had withered away, no sense in trying to hide in the treetop), refraining from making a single sound. 

The sound got closer and closer to the   
bridge, a small figure appearing. As they slowly walked across the bridge, Kagero cautiously peered from behind the dead tree. On the bridge stood a young girl in a Hoshidan kimono wearing the traditional wooden sandals, but the kimono appeared to look a bit dirty. What was peculiar was that she had on a white Kitsune mask with the traditional red markings covering her face. 

Kagero quietly hid her Shuriken into her ninja uniform. Sure, she felt silly for getting tense over a child, but she could not let her guard down no matter what. Taking a deep breath, she slowly stepped away from her hiding spot as she guarded her belly as well. The closer she got to the edge of the bridge, so did the girl with the Kitsune mask. She got on her knees as a means of getting down to the child’s eye level and said, “You there, what are you doing by yourself?” 

The girl in the kimono stopped walking after getting off the bridge, seeing Kagero stand in front of her. She simply stared at the woman, her mask creepily staring into Kagero’s eye. 

The kunoichi took a deep breath. Either this child was shy or simply did not like to speak much. She stayed on her knees as she spoke in a softer tone, “Where is your family? If there is no one to look after you, I simply cannot leave you to fend for yourself. Before we depart, can you tell me your name?” 

She was met with silence once again. All she could hear from the girl was quiet breathing, not a single word. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you aren’t comfortable around a stranger, I understand. Could you at least remove your mask so I can see your face?” 

“No.” 

Kagero raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?” 

The little girl shook her head, holding onto the Kitsune mask tightly. “No, I don’t want to take it off. I….. I look like a monster…. please….” 

“I don’t understand. Why do you think you look like a monster that you need to hide your face?” 

“....... Because I look hideous…” 

“Listen, I understand that you are frightened and would want to pretend this is not your homeland. There is nothing wrong with that. But, how can I be certain I can trust you if you are hiding your face? I’m sorry, but I’m going to need to take off your mask,” Kagero apologized, feeling awful for doing this to a scared child. She raised her hands near the side of the mask, ready to remove it, only to be smacked away. 

The masked child angrily stomped her feet, her sandals clicking and clicking on the ground with her. She got close to Kagero’s face. “I said no! Stop touching me! You’re just like all the other adults!” she cried, pounding her fists onto Kagero’s chest. As she threw a tantrum, the child ended up falling on the ground, the Kitsune mask sliding off her face along with a part of her kimono exposing only the shoulder area. 

Kagero nearly backed away in horror, her heart rate and breathing rapidly increasing. The little girl greatly resembled Kagero, except she looked much younger and did not have a long bang covering her left eye. Sadly, most of her face on the left side and her right shoulder along with her arm was charred and appeared to be burnt, though it was starting to slowly heal. 

“What happened to you?... who did this..?” 

“I did, or I should say….. you did this…. It’s your fault that I look like a monster. NOW PAY FOR YOUR BETRAYAL!!”   
——

“NO!!” 

Kagero shot up from the pillow, breathing heavily and sweat rolling down her face even though the December chill was starting to become lower. She hurriedly turned on the lamp on the night table, eliminating all the darkness in her bedroom. Pressing her hand against her chest, she felt her heart pounding rapidly against her rib cage. She hurriedly snagged the glass of water on the table and took a huge sip. 

“Gods, that may have been a dream, but that little girl in the mask... I can’t stop shaking when I saw her face, it looked just like mine and she looked desperate, angry, and upset at me. But the way her face was burnt…..” Kagero quietly panicked, shaking in her bed. Her heart was still beating like crazy in her bones and so was her breathing. Kagero rarely got nightmares but when she did, it wasn’t easy for her to calm down. 

She felt her hand instinctively go up and down the upper portion of her right arm, only to feel something rub off the skin. The woman removed her hand to see a powdery-like substance sticking to the palm. Sighing heavily, Kagero shook her head. “Of course, I forgot to remove the makeup before I went to sleep, no point in keeping on on right now…” 

Kagero opened the top drawer of the nightstand and pulled out a package of makeup wipes. She quietly got out of bed so she wouldn’t wake up Orochi, who was still sound asleep. She carefully walked over the wooden flooring since it tended to creak as she made her way towards the bathroom. 

Once she was inside, she shut the door without any noise and locked it.   
She removed the packet of makeup wipes from her pants pocket. Kagero gently wiped it against her upper right arm and a portion of the lower right arm that had makeup applied to it. Little by little, it gradually began to reveal bumpy, raised looking skin that looked like webs with a few pink patches. She pushed her long bang back while taking out another wipe. She rubbed it against her left eye, slowly showing its true form. Much like on her arm, her left eye had bumpy and raised skin around it (thankfully, she was not blind and it did not touch her eyebrow area and trailed to the top of her left cheek bone. Sighing, she ran her fingers against the bumpy scarred skin. 

“There are some things in my life I wish I could erase and these accursed scars are just some of them….” she said sadly, feeling her tainted arm while looking at her eye. 

Suddenly, Kagero felt a little flutter in her stomach. “Kana, are you concerned about me? You shouldn’t worry about me, it has nothing to do with you, I promise. Perhaps one day I will have the courage to tell you everything….” 

Turning off the bathroom light, she quietly tiptoed back into her room. Since the Artist was already awake, it wouldn’t be easy for her to go back to sleep unless she was doing something productive. With the nightmare still fresh in her mind and still shaken, Kagero opened up her backpack and took out her beloved red sketchbook with a pencil bag. As soon as she sat down on her bed and opened up the sketchbook, she found herself lost in her own world.   
—-

“Kagero? Hey, Kagero! Are you awake?” Orochi called, knocking on the door. The woman waited patiently outside of her best friend’s door, expecting for her to walk out any minute since she got ready fast. A few minutes passed and Orochi still heard no answer. 

“Huh…. I guess it wouldn’t hurt for me to wake her up,” she said to herself. 

Orochi opened the door to Kagero’s bedroom. The blinds were still closed but the sunlight peeked through enough to illuminate the dark room somewhat. Just as she expected, Kagero was sound asleep on the side of her body on the bed (obviously laying on her baby bump was not a good idea). The purple-haired woman chuckled, “She probably stayed up late as usual working on an art project. That’s just like Kagero.” 

She noticed something red sticking out underneath Kagero’s head and arms. Curious, Orochi knelt down to see what looked like a book binding. She gently pried it from Kagero’s body, brushing off any dust. The front cover was blank and was covered in stickers of Hoshidan mythical monsters and shurikens with Kagero’s full name, Kagero Kurosawa, neatly written in Hoshidan on the top right corner. “So this must be Kagero’s sketchbook. What was she working on last night?” wondered Orochi. 

Orochi sat down on the bed as she opened the sketchbook, peering through it. Most of the sketches were grim and gloomy as usual, ranging from nature native to Hoshido (though it looked quite ominous) to various tattoo concepts. She vividly remembered as a child how Kagero had quite the knack for painting, though it wasn’t like many typical children’s artwork, given how…. dark it was for her age.   
——

“Kagero, whatcha doing?” 

A young girl in a dark pink kimono looked up from the table inside of her estate. Sitting across from her was another girl her age with purple hair and a golden comb in casual clothing. Kagero set her brush down inside the paint jar so she wouldn’t ruin the bamboo paper. 

Kagero showed the paper to the girl, holding up her work. “It’s a painting I’m working on, Orochi. Mother’s making me do ‘proper lady’ lessons, again. But I’m grateful that today is focusing on painting instead of Nohrian English. I like making art but she and Sensei always tell me it’s…… scary.” 

Curious, Orochi looked at the work in progress. It was a grassy plain with a river and Mount Sumeragi in the background underneath a sunny sky, but the colors suggested otherwise. The sky had a hue of dark crimson, the sun and river was blood red, and the grass looked dead instead of a healthy vibrant green. “Scary? What is your Mom talking about? I like this!” she said in a serious tone while praising, handing Kagero back her painting. 

“I don’t know, Mother always says that painting ‘scary’ things like this isn’t proper at all of my drawings…. as usual,” sighed Kagero, feeling dejected as she dipped her brush in dark red ink. 

Orochi simply nodded. “Well, if it makes you feel better, I mean it when I said I didn’t think your paintings weren’t scary. You’re pretty good!” 

“You honestly think so? Thank you…”   
—-  
Smiling at the memory, Orochi quietly kept skimming through the book, amazed at every single work. “Kagero always been talented with her art. It may be gloomy and not like everyone else’s, but that’s what makes her unique.” 

As Orochi kept skimming, she eventually noticed the rest of the book’s pages were white. Which meant that she was almost to the most recent sketch her best friend was working on. Over the years she and Kagero spent together, the latter was more than happy to show whatever she was working on since not many people genuinely understood her artwork. Curious, Orochi flipped over the page to take a peek at her best friend’s last work. She nearly dropped the sketchbook afterwards. 

Orochi’s eyes went wide. Her hands nearly shook, a lump went down her throat, and her stomach started to churn. Off all artwork Kagero had made, it was always “edgy,” but this one in particular was greatly disturbing and genuinely upsetting. In the most recent drawing, Kagero had drawn what looked like a badly burnt but barely alive young boy along with his mother, and a dead, barbecued baby in front of a destroyed city set ablaze with a black smoke-filled sky. What really upset Orochi was the desperate and scared expressions the people while they were suffering from being burnt in the drawing. 

“Gods…… Kagero….. what is this?..... This isn’t like you at all….” said Orochi, nearly on the verge of crying just by looking at the art. Beads of tears began to fall from her violet eyes. Suddenly, she winced as she heard Kagero groan. 

Kagero groggily opened her eyes as she rubbed them to wake herself up. The mother-to-be yawned, stretching her body to be more alert. After feeling more awake, her hands instinctively went towards her bedspread, only to realize nothing was there, except for the pencil bag filled with art supplies. “What the-? Where is it?!” cried Kagero. 

She looked all over her bedspread again before noticing Orochi sitting on her bed in the corner of her eye. In her best friend’s hands was a red book, an all-too familiar book. “What are you doing with my sketchbook?” Kagero hissed, crossing her arms. 

Orochi nervously handed the red sketchbook back to the woman. She felt a gulp pass down her throat. Normally, Kagero would never get this angry but since she got pregnant, she had been subjected to mood swings and had little control over them lately. Thinking her words carefully, Orochi spoke, “I got worried because you didn’t wake up when I called your name. When I came in to get you up, your sketchbook was just underneath you and-“ 

“And what? You thought it was okay to simply pry through something personal to me without asking?!” interrupted an irritated Kagero. “How much did you see?” 

Orochi simply looked down at her lap, tears falling down her face. She brought her legs up to her body and just sat there, petrified. That was enough for Kagero to realize how much she had seen. “Kagero, I’m truly sorry I went through your book, but that artwork you just drew…. it seriously frightened me. I…. I don’t know how to describe it other than it’s devastating. I’m sorry, but why did you draw something so upsetting-“ 

“Orochi, just stop talking. First you take my sketchbook and you think it is okay to just look through it without asking me?! Do you have any idea how personal that book is to me?! Clearly you don’t because apparently it’s not important! It may not matter to you but it does to me,” snapped Kagero, jabbing her dominant pointer finger into Orochi’s chest. 

“Kagero, I’m so sorry-“

“Half-assed apologies aren’t going to cut it this time,” Kagero coldly said, shoving past Orochi while putting her sketchbook and art supplies into her backpack as she grabbed her coat. 

As Kagero pushed aside Orochi, she noticed scraggly and bumpy looking skin on the woman’s right arm. It looked very scarred as if there was trauma.

Wait, what happened to your arm? How did you get this scar?” said Orochi, grabbing Kagero’s scarred arm. 

Kagero angrily smacked away her friend’s hand. “Don’t. Touch. Me. That is none of your concern. You may be my best friend, but you certainly don’t need to know everything damn thing about me,” she angrily hissed. She then angrily huffed, grabbing her motorcycle keys and helmet and slammed the apartment door loudly with force. 

Orochi dropped onto the sofa, feeling an immense pile of guilt weigh down on her. “What have I done? Some best friend I am but I can’t just wallow and do nothing. I started this mess, I need to make things right…” Tears dropped down her eyes as she quietly pulled out her cellphone, punching in a few numbers. “Pick up, please…..” she whispered. 

“Hello? Orochi?” answered a male voice. 

“Hey, Ryoma, can I speak to Corrin? I heard he’s spending time with you and the family for a few days but I need to speak to him in private. I….. did something to Kagero I shouldn’t have done and now she’s beyond furious at me because it’s my fault,” answered Orochi, on the the verge of breaking down. 

“I see. Wait one moment, he’ll be there in a second.”   
—-  
DOWNTOWN HOSHIDO 

In the bustling downtown city of Hoshido, Kagero sat in the corner of a popular tea cafe away from other people, still in a foul mood. She stared into space as she quietly continued to work on her drawing, adding some more details to it. Taking a deep breath, Kagero took a sip of ice tea before resuming coloring to cool her jets off. 

“Why did Orochi have the nerve to go through my sketchbook?! Yes, I did let her see a few pages in the past but it was not okay for her to go through something personal to me without my consent. There are just some things I am not comfortable with telling Orochi so soon. She should’ve known better than to go through my own things…” thought Kagero angrily. She groaned, leaning back into the chair to stretch her arms. 

Looking back at the vent art, it was nearly completed, just needed a few more details. Kagero dug through her pencil bag. She pulled out light grey, black, red, and dark blue oil pastels. Little by little, the drawing became more and more detailed and more alive at the same time as the artist added more colors. The depressing scenery had became a lot more bone-chilling and shocking now that the finishing touches were added. Taking a deep breath, Kagero took out a white gel pen and signed her name in Hoshidan on the bottom right corner. 

“I knew I would find you here.” 

Kagero nearly dropped her pen and jumped out of her seat. She was already in a foul mood due to her fight with Orochi combined with mood swings and was about to snap at the stranger for disrupting her when she noticed who was standing up. 

“Oh, Corrin, it’s you. How did you know I would be here?” said Kagero, trying to hide her grumpiness. 

“I know you come to your favorite tea shop when you feel stressed about your artwork or anything else. But…. the real reason I’ve come to find you was because Orochi called. She said you two got into a fight and she feels really guilty about it,” said Corrin. 

Kagero groaned, forming her default serious expression. Her anger from earlier was slowly beginning to surface again. “Of course Orochi had to go and blab about it, typical of her. She’s always been like this but she went through something personal of mine without my consent and started badgering me with invasive questions about….. my personal life.” 

Before the woman could continue to ramble, Corrin gently squeezed her hand.   
“Easy, we’re in public. We can go back to my other family’s home to talk in private so you can tell me the whole truth. Ryoma is working from home today and Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura are all at school. We can speak in private in the guest room I’m staying in. Ryoma won’t bother us if the door is closed.” 

Her boyfriend was right, this was a public place and it wasn’t necessary for the whole world to hear what was really going on in her head. Gathering her sketchbook and supplies into her backpack, Kagero sighed. “Very well, let’s go.”   
—

“Ryoma, I’m home! I brought Kagero with me!” called Corrin, taking off his shoes. 

Being the hardcore traditional Hoshidan she was, Kagero bowed before she removed her shoes as well. 

“Kagero, it’s been a while. How have you and the baby been?” greeted a deep, yet welcoming voice. 

She looked up to see a young Hoshidan man with long, spiky brown hair tied into a ponytail wearing a red collared shirt with a lobster tie, black office pants, and black socks. He was greeting her with a warm smile. Not wanting to show her anger from earlier since he was a dear friend, she tried her best to smile back. “Hello Ryoma. Indeed, it has been a while. I’m doing well and so has Kana, just been busy with my artwork,” she greeted as she bowed. 

Ryoma bowed back, nodding. “If I know you, you always take your artwork quite seriously. Are you still pursuing your dream of wanting to be a tattoo artist?” 

“Indeed, I am,” said Kagero, nodding in affirmation. 

“It’s strange, to think that the rebellious freshman student I met in high school would mature into a woman of many talents.” 

“Brother, what was Kagero like in high school when you first met her?” asked Corrin. 

Kagero’s face turned red. “...... It’s embarrassing,” she quietly said. 

“Actually, I believe I have a yearbook with Kagero’s freshman photo in it. It’s….. right here,” Ryoma pulled out a green book out of a nearby bookshelf with the name of a Hoshidan high school written in the national language. He skimmed through the book until he found the first year students. He carefully analyzed each name and photo until he saw a familiar face. The eldest brother handed the yearbook to Corrin and Kagero. “Does this person look familiar?” he said, pointing his finger on the first picture of the second row on the third page of the first years. It was labeled: KAGERO KUROSAWA. 

Kagero quickly turned red as a tomato while Corrin tried his best to resist laughing, but the poor boy couldn’t take it anymore. “Kagero, I’m sorry, but is this really you?” he teased. 

The young woman reluctantly looked at the accursed school photo. There was no denying that it was her by her facial features, but she looked rather grumpy. What really made her stand out was that her hair was shorter and stopped at her shoulders and looked quite punkish with streaks of red all over it. Her right ear was covered in a few more piercings as well. 

“..... There are some things I wish to forget. That photo of me is just one of them. Almost everyone at school called me Kagemo because of my looks. If you post that photo on Facebook, I won’t forgive you,” Kagero said in a deadpan tone, feeling extremely embarrassed as she tried to burn that photo out of her mind. 

Ryoma put his hand onto his old friend’s shoulder. “Peace, you should know Corrin well enough to know he would never want to embarrass you. He was only making a jest. Don’t take everything he says seriously.” 

“Oh, I see. I am still serious about what I said if he posted that unruly photo of me on Facebook,” grumbled Kagero. 

“As much as I’d be interested in knowing more about what Kagero was like in high school, she and I need to talk, alone,” interjected Corrin, remembering the real reason why he brought Kagero. 

“I see. I’ll give you two some privacy. I will be downstairs if you need me.”   
—-

After an…. interesting conversation with Ryoma, Kagero let out a huge sigh of relief. She sat on the bed, leaning against the bed frame as she set her backpack next to her. 

“Hey, are you okay? You look more worn out than usual lately,” observed Corrin, handing his girlfriend some water. 

Kagero nodded in affirmation, taking a sip of water. “Yes. I’ve find myself becoming more exhausted lately since I’ve passed five months. I’ll be fine, I just need to rest.” 

“Are you ready to talk about why you fought with Orochi? I mean, if you don’t want to right now and would rather do it later, that’s fine with me.” 

The woman sighed heavily, running her fingers through her long bang. She crossed her arms to get comfortable. “Yes, I suppose since I am quite stressed.”

“Alright, just start from the beginning. I’m not going to interrupt, I’ll just listen.” 

“Well…. When I woke up this morning, I caught Orochi going through my sketchbook. She may be my best friend but that does not give her an excuse to go through something personal to me without asking. She was shaken up by my latest drawing, but she should’ve kept to herself since it was a vent drawing, not meant for prying eyes for anyone to look at,” recalled Kagero, still feeling upset towards Orochi. 

“So, how is this drawing different compared to your other ones that it made you get upset with Orochi? You usually like to show her your art. That’s what I don’t understand,” questioned Corrin. 

“Yes, you are right, I’m comfortable with letting her see my work. However, this one was too personal and I was not comfortable with Orochi just going through my sketchbook to see it since it is not meant for the public to see because I needed to vent. It was the only way I could express my anxiety from a frightening dream I had. There are some things I am simply not comfortable enough for Orochi to know even though she is my best friend. I will admit that lately, I haven’t had much control of my emotions lately because of mood swings and I feel upset at myself for losing my temper.” 

“So you had a nightmare, I understand. What was it that you drew that you didn’t want her to see?” Corrin pointed towards the red sketchbook in Kagero’s hand. 

Kagero hestitanly held her sketchbook close to her chest. She scrunched her face, unsure of what to say. She soon felt Corrin holding her hand for comfort. 

“Look, if you’re not comfortable with showing me, it’s okay-“ 

“No, I am starting to feel guilty for losing my temper at Orochi. The last thing I want to do is treat you the same way when you’re trying to help. I will say that it’s more disturbing than my usual art, or so I’ve been told. It is nothing more than a place for me to vent my emotions after that troublesome nightmare. Are you mentally prepared?” Kagero questioned in a serious tone, still clutching her sketchbook to her chest. 

Corrin nodded in affirmation with a serious expression on his face. That was all Kagero needed to hear. When Corrin had a serious face, that indicated he was definitely going to go for it. Nodding in affirmation, Kagero took a deep breath and exhaled. She opened up her sketchbook to the most recent drawing and flipped it face down so only the cover could be seen. She hesitantly handed Corrin the sketchbook. 

Kagero may not express it on her face but her anxiety was rising on the inside. She felt sweat roll down her head the moment Corrin flipped over the face-down sketchbook. Her body couldn’t stop shaking, it would be a matter of time before Corrin could possibly never look at her the same ever again. 

“Well?.....” Kagero quietly said, feeling her heart thump incredibly fast against her rib cage. 

Corrin just stared at the drawing. He wasn’t sure what to think or say, it was indeed beyond disturbing as Kagero had warned. He sat down next to her on the bed, finding it hard to pry his eyes away from the artwork. “Kagero, I’m honestly not sure where to begin. It’s just beyond depressing. I can’t get the boy’s desperate and pained expression out of my mind. I don’t know how else to describe it other than that it’s genuinely evokes raw emotions. These people in your sketch look like they’re suffering greatly and want it all to stop,” said Corrin, sounding a tad upset. 

Kagero looked into Corrin’s eyes, forming a pained expression on her face. She shifted uncomfortably on her spot on the bed. The detailed drawing stared back into her eyes, as if it was staring into her soul. She brushed her fingers against the pained and upsetting expressions of the people in her vent art. “I know. Just sketching out this artwork made me feel all other kinds of emotions I normally do not experience. The nightmare I had was too difficult to simply forget. It was only me and Kana left in the world and no one else was alive. The next thing I remember, this little girl in a mask appeared. When she dropped it, looking at her true face brought back unpleasant memories from my childhood. Drawing my out-of-control emotions into this sketch was the only thing that could ease my anxiety.” 

Corrin pulled Kagero close to him. He refused to let go, holding onto her hand tightly for comfort. When he and Kagero first dated, she wasn’t too open about talking about her past. Little by little, she gradually told him a few details here and there. As far as he knew, Kagero had one older brother named Kagetaro whom she still loved deeply. She never really seemed to like to discuss her other family members or what her life was like. 

“Kagero, what do you mean the drawing and the nightmare you had is related to your childhood? Is there something you haven’t told me? I’m not trying to force you to talk, I just want you to feel safe,” said a concerned Corrin. 

The artist picked up her backpack off of the ground. She zipped open the front large pocket and dig around in it. She pulled out what looked like a packet of makeup wipes. Kagero pulled out one wipe, feeling to make sure it was still moist. She grabbed her boyfriend’s hand as she looked into his eyes with her trademark serious look. “Corrin, what I’m about to reveal to you, you have to promise me you will not tell anyone else about this. I’m not comfortable with other people knowing about it until I’m mentally ready. If word got out, I’m afraid people will start spreading rumors about me that aren’t true. Can I trust you to keep this to yourself?” 

“Of course. Many people don’t understand you. The last thing I want to do is be responsible for people spreading lies. I don’t want to take advantage of your trust, I love you too much to do that to you. You’re too special to me and no matter what you tell me, it will never change my love for you,” said Corrin. 

That was all Kagero needed to hear. Her hands began to shake as she slowly brought the makeup wipe up to her right arm. She looked back at Corrin one more time. The latter simply squeezed her hand for reassurance, silently nodding. Taking one deep breath, Kagero pressed the wipe against her skin and carefully spread it all over her upper and lower arm. 

Little by little, Corrin saw part of Kagero’s arm reveal a scar with pink patches that resembled melted cheese. It was on the front side of the arm and extended just a few inches past her elbow. The skin itself looked slightly distorted. While most of the scar regained the original skin color, it was clear there was some sort of trauma. Next, Kagero held her long back back as she gently brought the wipe up to her left eye. Just like on her arm, the skin on the eyelid and around the eye until it stopped at her cheek bone was slightly distorted and had the same melted cheese-like pattern, save for the eyebrow. 

Kagero crumpled the makeup wipe in her hand. She sat on the bed in silence in a crisscross position, shifting with anxiety. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t bring herself to say any words. Before she knew it, Corrin gently placed his hand onto her tainted skin and then on her cheek, brushing his finger against her scarred eye. It felt a little rough from the distortion but it felt soft from years of trying to heal. 

“Kagero…. what in Naga’s name happened? Who did this to you?” said Corrin, clearly in shock. This was the first time he had seen this much trauma on his girlfriend. But for Kagero to open up to him about this, it indicated that she could not trust just anyone to share this secret to. 

Kagero sighed heavily, letting her long bang fall onto her face to cover her scarred eye. “It was me….. Before you jump to any conclusions, it is time I told you more about myself and how it is related to the drawing and the nightmare.” 

“I don’t understand, why didn’t you tell me about this before-“ 

“You believe this is an easy subject for me to reveal to anyone?! I’m trying to be more open with you because you never lost patience with me even though I was never comfortable with discussing my life! Why does everyone assume that I don’t have any troubles as well? I’m truly sorry I kept this from you for a while, but I wasn’t certain if I could trust you yet. I promise I’ll tell you everything.” 

Corrin shook his head, feeling foolish for his outburst. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gotten upset at you. You’re right, I don’t know everything about you. I want you to trust me so you can feel more at peace with yourself. I’m not going anywhere, I’ll be right here with you.” 

Staring at her scarred arm then back at Corrin, Kagero took a deep breath. “Very well. I had just turned ten years old and Moth- I mean, Misako, decided to hold a sacred Chaji tea ceremony just to show off our wealth, again. Normally, she would be the hostess, but she decided to have me fulfill the role instead since I was supposedly of age…”   
—-

Kagero yawned for what seemed like eternity. The poor girl had been up most of the night and looked like she was about to fall asleep any minute on the table with the traditional tea ceremony utensils. She, her family, and a couple wealthy acquaintances of her parents were all gathered inside of the tearoom of the estate. Everybody sat amongst themselves on their knees on cushions on top of the bamboo flooring (except for Kagetaro, he was in a wheelchair) despite being constrained in traditional Hoshidan kimonos and yukatas. 

As Kagero suppress a yawn to not look improper in front of the guests, a woman greatly resembling her sat on her knees in front of her. She had quite the stern expression on her face. “Kagero, listen well. You must take your role as the Hostess seriously. It may be your first official one, but it is with utmost importance that you do not make one mistake with the tea ceremony. Do not dishonor our family by having us look foolish. Am I clear?” she sternly said. 

Kagero simply nodded in silence, trying to hide her sleepiness. “Yes, Mother.” 

“Excellent. Remember, our family’s honor rests on this ceremony. Do not disappoint me.” With that said, Misako got up and resumed to speak with other acquaintances of the family. 

Now that she was gone, Kagero quietly let out a sigh. “Of course Mother only cares about herself and showing off our wealth, as usual. I wish she didn’t pressure me into being the Hostess for the tea ceremony. I stayed up all night practicing for this so it would go perfect and now I’m tired...” she mused. 

A few minutes passed when Misako rang a bell, indicating the tea ceremony was about to begin. Kagero quickly got into the proper posture on the cushion, sitting on her knees. As soon as everybody sat right up on their cushions, all eyes were on the girl. 

Despite feeling tired, the young girl shook her head. “Mother will be disappointed in me if I don’t make the Tea Ceremony perfect. I cannot let make one small error. Let us begin.” 

Turning around so the guests would see her back, Kagero picked up a neatly folded white cloth. On the table was a tea bowl and a bamboo tea scoop and whisk. With precise and graceful movements, she gently and efficiently cleansed the utensils. “Easy, don’t let the utensils fall….” 

Much to Kagero’s luck, the sacred tea bowl and bamboo utensils did not roll off the preparation table. Now that they were cleaned, she placed the bowl onto the table. She carefully lifted a hot tea pot by the handle, pouring hot water into the dish. Next to the pot was a jar. Opening the jar, she dipped the bamboo tea scoop inside and gracefully placed the matcha powder into the bowl. She then picked up the bamboo whisk and slowly mixed the ingredients together so the tea would not slosh around. 

“Yes, everything is going perfectly. Maybe it was foolish of me to stay up all night practicing this ceremony, but if I disappoint Mother, she would lose her faith in me. I have to stay awake, I cannot afford to take the ritual lightly.” 

The liquid in bowl was slowly starting to turn into a vibrant, grassy green color. Kagero stopped spinning the whisk. She took it out of the dish and set it onto a wooden tray. With the matcha tea now ready for the guests to take a sip, the girl placed the bowl onto a large wooden plate. She first bowed respectfully before picking up the tray and getting up from the cushion. 

As she began to step away from her cushion to the first guest, her eyes were starting to feel heavy from lack of sleep. The hem of her kimono suddenly got caught under her foot, making her lose her footing. Kagero panicked as she desperately tried to juggle the tea bowl and tray together. But it was too late. 

CRASH! 

All hell had broken loose inside of the tearoom. Kagero laid on the floor, screaming and whimpering in pain next to broken shards of the tea bowl.   
—-

“.... and after that terrible ceremony, I had to spend ten days in the hospital because I suffered severe third degree burns. During those ten days, I was traumatized. I would wake up in the middle of the night from terrible memories of the ceremony. Trying to survive was hell. Everyday, my skin and eye would get irritated from the bandages and when it was time to change them, it felt like I was being burned by the tea over and over again. Not once, did Misako ever show up once to visit me. Only Father, Kagetaro, and Orochi and her parents visited. I remember my brother giving me an amigurumi he had made along with my shuriken pendant.” 

Kagero removed her shuriken pendant, pressing a small button on the center. She carefully opened it to reveal a small photo of a younger and happier Kagero with a boy who resembled her, presumably her brother. She had a look of sadness and nostalgia on her face as she held onto the shuriken pendant. She then continued, “As soon as I was released from the hospital, Misako handed me a suitcase in the car. It didn’t take long for me to realize I was disowned, no longer a part of the family because I made us ‘look weak’ from the important tea ceremony as the Hostess. The next thing I know, she just dropped me off in front of Orochi’s house and never came back.” 

Rarely did Kagero ever show signs of being emotional. But opening up to Corrin was just too much for the woman. Without realizing it, tears were beginning to fall from her eyes and she was starting to lose control of her breathing. “Even to this day, I’m still haunted by nightmares of me being burnt alive in my childhood home while Misako just stands there, watching me suffer. Do you have any idea how much I suffered since that day? Since the incident, I’m too scared to be near a hot tea kettle because it just brings back painful memories. I don’t understand how you can even love a broken person like me, I just don’t get it!” 

Finally, Kagero couldn’t take control of her emotions anymore. She dropped her head into Corrin’s chest, tears falling as if a dam had burst. She gripped her boyfriend’s hand tightly as she lost it. Meanwhile, Corrin just sat on the bed in pure shock. 

“I had no idea Kagero was carrying this much on her shoulders. I wish she didn’t feel like she was alone and no one to talk to about all of those troubles. She’s carried too much by herself all these years,” thought Corrin. He didn’t say anything, he just let Kagero release all those years of regret and hurt, because that is what she needed to do. 

Finally, a little while had passed when Kagero slowly stopped shedding tears. Struggling to regain her composure, she flipped open her sketchbook to the vent drawing she made, staring intensely at it. No matter how hard she tried, Corrin could still hear pain in her voice. “Corrin, look at how much detail I put into this work and the pained expressions on these burnt people’s faces. Now that I look at them, it’s as if they’re telling a story on how I truly feel of carrying all of this trauma with me on my own all these years. But since I’ve met you and both of your families, I am certain I won’t be alone and suffering in anguish anymore, like the subjects in my art. I’m tired of having my life being chained down to the past and these accursed scars on my body. I can’t stop the trauma from haunting me but that doesn’t mean I can’t at least attempt to move on. There’s only one way I can do so.” 

Kagero opened her backpack again and dig through it. She let her hand search around until she found what she was looking for. Out came the pencil bag filled with art supplies. Zipping it open, she picked up a mechanical pencil and turned the page in her sketchbook. As soon as the pencil touched the paper, Kagero became lost in her own world and got to sketching. 

As time passed, Kagero started to clean up her sketch with inks and quickly got into coloring. She pulled out a few high quality coloring markers and went straight into making her sketch feel more alive and detailed. About 15 minutes later, Kagero neatly signed her name on the paper and set down her supplies, indicating she was done. Corrin looked at the finished drawing, curious what Kagero was up to. 

On the paper was a well detailed red Hoshidan style dragon with a yellow belly, looking vastly different from the Nohrian style version. Instead of having the traditional body of a four legged animal, this dragon had a serpent like body, a beard, whiskers, a different looking face and head and no legs. What was strange was that the dragon’s tail had a tip made out of fire. The artwork itself was quite different from Kagero’s usual gloomy themed drawings. 

“Kagero, this is….. this beautiful. You’ve really outdone yourself with this, but why did you suddenly draw a dragon?” said Corrin, lost in awe of the drawing. 

Kagero propped her sketchbook into her lap. She traced her finger all over the drawing of dragon. “This is a Hoshidan dragon. In our tradition, it symbolizes love, passion, family and…. protection of children. It is time that I stopped letting my past ruin my future. I’m not suffering alone anymore. I know that now that I have you, Kana, Orochi, and both of your families to be there for me. The first thing I can do to attempt to move on is to cover up this dreadful burn scar on my arm. Everytime I look at it, it just brings painful memories. In other words, I am going to get this dragon tattooed over the scar. In a sense, you could say that by getting this tattoo, I’m vowing to protect Kana from harm and to never treat her the way I was raised. No child deserves to grow up without feeling loved by their own parent.” 

“If that is what you want to do so you can feel at peace, then I’ll gladly support it. You didn’t deserve to have a terrible childhood like that. I know you will make sure Kana doesn’t have the same.” 

“Indeed. From this day forward, I vow to never treat our child with neglect or without any love. She is our mistake, but she is perhaps the greatest one we made together.”   
—-  
ONE WEEK LATER 

Kagero had never felt more at peace than before. 

As she finished getting dressed for Painting Studio, she stopped for a moment to look into the mirror by her dresser. She turned to the side and there were no signs of distorted, warped looking skin. Instead, a vibrant red Hoshidan dragon trailed all around her arm. The tattoo had come out quite well and the way it majestically looked on Kagero’s skin proved it. The skin around the tattoo was still slightly red since it was nearly done healing, but it looked amazing regardless. 

Feeling at peace with herself, Kagero pressed the hidden button on her shuriken necklace. She sadly smiled at the photograph of her and her brother, back when times were happier. “Hello Kagetaro, I wish I could see you again. I haven’t seen you since I was ten, but I know for certain I will see you again. Wait for me, we will be reunited together again, I swear on it.”   
—-  
DOWNTOWN HOSHIDO 

“Kurosawa-san? There’s some mail for you!” 

A young man dressed in a traditional Hoshidan men’s yukata turned around in his wheelchair from the window of the assisted living facility. Brushing his long bang covering his right eye and fixing his short ponytail, he looked to see a woman in scrubs holding a letter. He turned his wheelchair around and slowly rolled over to the nurse. 

“Thank you, I can take it from here,” he said with a warm voice. 

The nurse bowed, handing the young man his mail. As soon as she left his room, he carefully read the sender’s name and address and his face lit up. Carefully opening the envelope, he pulled out a letter and unfolded it. After reading the letter, the man noticed a photo was inside. Curious, he pulled it out of the envelope and flipped it over. 

In the photograph was a pregnant woman a few years younger than him who greatly resembled him physically sitting next to a man with pointed ears and unruly, wild white hair underneath a Sakura tree. The man couldn’t help but feel tears of joy fall from his eyes. 

“You look so much happier and more alive than you were when we were children. I wish I could’ve done more to stop Mother from disowning you, but just being able to keep in touch with you and seeing you smile again is enough to make me feel happy. One day, I will see you again and meet my niece. I won’t rest until I can be reunited with you, my dear sister, Kagero.”  
—  
Okay, this has literally been the longest chapter I’ve written. Besides, I actually had a lot of fun trying to develop this AU’s Kagero’s character. Once I start brainstorming, it’s hard to get me to stop! But anyway, I’ve introduced Kagero’s family, so will they appear again? Who knows, it’s possible!

**Author's Note:**

> I know what you’re thinking, you’re worried since Camila’s involved. Yeah, I assumed so but I can assure you, Camilla will undergo proper character development in this AU. I can’t reveal details for now but you will see in future chapters. Until then, Plopkumi out!


End file.
